dated: September 13, 2021
ZOOM MEETING WITH GLEN SZYMONIAK, KLAMATH COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT to answer questions from LWV and create relationship by which LWV can be of service to Klamath County Schools.
LWV Klamath and community members in attendance: Diane Eastman-Shockey, Leslie Lowe, Faith Leith, Sue Kreizenbeck, Mike Fitzgerald
AGENDA:
Introductory information about LWV Klamath
Who we are: Diane talked about LWV national and local history of educating folks; Leslie talked about educational forums, including candidates nights; Diane spoke briefly about the Harvard Project in Klamath County schools.
Questions sent to Superintendent Szymoniak prior to meeting:
a)What “voice” does LWV Klamath have to share with our community regarding Klamath County Schools?
Example: How can we help educate voters regarding school board elections, what school boards do, and how important it is to have representation from our community on the Board?
Example: What are your feelings about having LWV come into schools to help educate student voters?
b) How does Superintendent Szymoniak propose to decrease the hostility and increase the coordination between City and County schools, especially regarding curriculum differences and communication issues?
c) Help us better understand the implementation of vaccine/mask mandates in the schools, given all the divisiveness in this county.
Specific comments Superintendent Szymoniak made in answer to the above questions:
1) Facebook has so much Mis-information and has already caused much chaos for the school district at Board meetings in particular. LWV could possibly help with School Board elections and public awareness of the damage some few individuals are doing, especially around Covid issues and manner of expression of personal views.
2) LWV needs to have a connections with teachers in the District to be more useful.
3) A course on “Civil discourse” is NOT taught in the schools and they could use one taught by LWV Klamath?
4) Superintendent Szymoniak has been in Klamath 3 full school years. He was trained in mediation. He really works to solve problems with ALL the players. He pulled together a consortium of City and County School Boards, city council and county commissioners, etc to be proactive about the Covid protocols for reopening the schools. He initiated a letter to Governor Brown asking for local Health Board control instead of the State. This is indicative of his style of operation. He hopes to continue to work with City schools on other issues as well.
5) Discussion regarding “critical race training” in the schools. He was adamant that this is NOT part of the curriculum, but he does not know if a specific teacher is doing something with this in a classroom. He will deal with it when and IF he hears about it.
6) Superintendent Szymoniak has not looked at curriculum differences between city and county schools.
7) Superintendent Szymoniak is interested in helping re-establish the Harvard Project that was not completed because of the 2020 Covid 19 shutdown.