It’s Your Turn: Allen McLellan

We’ve heard concerns that we publish articles that are biased: ones that only include negative experiences. We have requested all to share their experiences. As we haven’t had submissions from any with this perspective, we thought sharing Mr. McLellan’s public comment was a way to show all voices. We transcribed this from Don Messinger’s live feed on Channel CASD.

School Board Meeting 7/23/19
Public Comment
Allen McLellan

I'll start with a question:  How do you build educational excellence? I submit to you that it’s not by frequent upheavals, changes in goals, programs, or critical personnel. You build it by having people in place, people who are committed to the organization, and to its progress, who understand the organization, the goals, its people, and its challenges to improve over time as their learning curve builds. We cannot immediately step in and create excellence in every area.

But leaders incorporate and breathe the culture, the people, the purpose, the strengths, the weaknesses of any organization. These people, these leaders are adaptable. And understand that solutions must fit the situation. Not all solutions in district X or district Y will fit in the Coatesville District because of our conditions and culture here. These leaders learn by their mistakes and all good leaders make mistakes. Show me a leader who has never failed, and I’ll show you someone who is on the sidelines and not in the arena. 

I believe Dr. Taschner is a superb leader. She assumed her position after some of the worst upheavals in the district’s entire history. And when few credible candidates would even want the job. I will spare all of us the details of that dark period. But she quickly learned the culture and has led this district to build on it strengths and overcome its  weaknesses which are endemic to this district. 

The vector has been upward since her arrival.She makes the tough decisions just as good leaders must do. And in that process when you make decisions, believe me from 26 years in the military, you’re going to make some enemies. Some of them are very vocal, some are very loud, and they’re very wrong. Some of those enemies will attach themselves to a single issue and ride that hobby horse, complaining as they go but never offering real solutions. Their sole answer to every challenge is to fire the person in charge or the superintendent in this case. And bring in someone with his or her own baggage and shortcomings and in two years or sooner, the naysayers will be calling for that person to be fired and the cycle of upheavals will continue.

Many stakeholders in this district parents, students, staff, faculty, and homeowners have got a new optimism under Dr. Taschner’s leadership. I’m confident that she would have nay over 70 or perhaps 80% favorability.  If she were in politics, no candidate could reasonably beat her. However, as in politics we see it: The majority of people who are satisfied do not speak up.

What I’m saying is that people who are satisfied, the silent majority, do not speak up and they should and we need them to do so now. What I’m saying is because there are some loud voices calling for this superintendent to be removed that would be a colossal and long lasting mistake. She has made and continues to make real progress. She was recognized by the Educational Leadership award in secondary education by the Young Men Women and Men In Charge Foundation. They don’t give away that award like popcorn.So they see perhaps what a lot of us may not see. She has the amazing circumstance of having a small [ group] of disgruntled people wanting to dispose of our award-winning superintendent. That makes no sense. For those here tonight if you support Dr. Taschner, now is the time to verbalize it. Realize there are serious efforts, serious efforts to remove her and for no rationale cause. 

Board members please stand strong against the irrational and misguided efforts to remove the best option in Coatesville as superintendent. On the contrary, acknowledge your support for her  and recognize her many achievements as outsiders do. She is still the right person, in the right place, and at the right time. We'll all be better for her continued service as superintendent.

Heart of Coatesville

 

Students lie at the heart of the district - it exists to educate, mold, and shape them into adults. So it’s critical that we be open to hearing what students want to tell us about their experiences - whether positive or constructive. With no student newspaper or media, there has been no outlet for these student voices before we started publishing them on our blog. In fact, we have been honored and excited by the number of students who have stepped up and asked to voluntarily share their stories. 

We are disappointed that some people try to misconstrue this as using children, as Mrs. Wuertz stated at the June board meeting. Quite the opposite is true: Empowering students is one of our goals. We believe this too should be a goal of the District collectively, beginning with the School Board (most members of which want to hear from our students,) continuing to the Superintendent, and beyond especially because this is evidence of achieving the mission of the district. Further, it is critical for us to listen to the students who see the changes and situations in school on a daily basis. Karizma Washington (2019 graduate) who reached out to share her story, was clear in her position: “Thank you for the opportunity. I believe that things are in dire need of change and it all starts with the administration.”

The entirety of my life has been spent residing within the very limited and confined streets of Coatesville. From a person who built upon the foundation of an unsteady home, the city of Coatesville shaped me through its culture, socialism, and history. There is such a ridiculed version of the city that always resonates within my mind, just as many others. However, the city is filled with endless opportunities for empowerment by mentors, leadership, diversity, and commendmentship. Although the community support of Coatesville students and staff is compassionate, the actual core of the district is one of cold, disheartened stone. Thus, to sit here and say I never hated waking up and going to school is a lie.

As a whole, the people of Coatesville are considerably unaware of this, especially the people that are supposed to be at the center of Coatesville’s so-called greatness. As a generation of Coatesvillian’s, we all want to be the warrior without seeing what’s under the armor. As a city and school, the attention to sports, prom, homecoming, and other high profile high school events are more appreciated than that of the social and cultural issues that are prevalent within our school walls. There is so much wasted time, nonrelative curriculum, and overly justified policies that have nothing to do with helping students actually succeed. Instead of study halls and time for extra assistance, we have 30 minute periods of lunchtime, an unused 35 minute period for advisory and a very, very non-present office staff.

Not addressing these controversial conflicts do not prepare us for our future but prevent us from the reality of what is contained in it. To reference, the words of Jimmy Carter, “We are of course a nation of differences. Those differences don’t make us weak. They’re the source of our strength.” In order for our unequally represented stereotypes and misunderstandings of our city to be changed, we must confront the negatives and not hide them with our obvious accomplishments. We need to be aware of the need for change and realize the great city we do have with respect, kindness, and expediency.  From the schools very own mission statement:

”The mission of the Coatesville Area School District, rich in diversity and committed to excellence, is to create innovative educational experiences which are funded by the taxpayers, supported by the community, delivered by dedicated teachers and administrators, to ensure all students will become responsible, contributing global citizens”.

Our current system actually contradicts the mission itself.

The Coatesville Area Senior High School is the heart and life of Coatesville -no doubt about that- but it is because of the students and many of the teachers. There are so many overlooked students who are working in the same excellence as the majority, but not utilizing school's resources is what makes us unsuccessful. The diversity is present within the population of students, but our academics must improve. Sixty percent for passing is only failing students and allowing us to not challenge our intellect or ability.

The classroom environments are shaky and can even become controversial because of the underlying effect the district has on the school. Overall, we celebrate our concept of achieving and creating much-needed leaders, influencers, and motivators. We commend and celebrate our athletes, student council, student government, clubs and organizations, teachers, and support all of our local events.  However, the district creates students fighting directly against it with these same praised accomplishments as the very issue. The administration deprives students of color and any student of the lesser caliber the access to truthful insightful help or gain in the fruition to the transition to society. The very opposite of what really goes on within the halls, classrooms, and offices of the high school is exactly what the district is responsible for. The administration does not witness the actual events that occur in the school nor do they see to it that the consequences are issued to help students.

It is essential that we have policies, codes, teachers, and principals, guidance counselors who can have an educational relationship with students' economic or demographic background that we can put in place that guarantees the success of students individually and not just of the school as a collective.

The more we present our school with factors of how great our students are in one light, we dim the light of others. I believe in the diverse atmosphere we have here and the relationships we have with our teachers. From the relativity of just being at Coatesville we all are in fact a family that correlates itself back to who we originally wanted to be.

When my student peers and I organized the protest against the mandate of the administration with reaction to racial tension two years ago, the community at Coatesville was one that was almost indescribable. The family that I am referring to consist only of the teachers supportive of that situation, the community, and fellow students.

There is a dark entity of control that exists within the administration. Instead of consoling unguided teenagers and lost minds, the administration discards them. They reprimand us into boxes of shame and convince us that we are indeed the problem and need discipline. Instead of holding places where peace, knowledge, and understanding can be held, unnecessary security guards are added and curriculum isn't modified hindering students from understanding the true value of what we are learning and acquiring in the classroom. As a visual learner, I disliked the fact that for CPM I had to sit in a group of four and ask my peers what to do. When we had no idea what to do, it was such a waste of time. We need the school and everyone within it to understand that yes we are Coatesville, but we are all different and the opportunity for our differences need to be recognized, sought after, and solidified into a working solution.

We all have tension and we all have pain. The fact of the matter is we need a united district with a desire for growth that can spark change. With everything that my high school career has provided, I've made much-needed evaluations and experiences. I think that everyone’s story is one that has been told once before, yet we all have different perspectives. That is why to me everything, not only academically, but socially and politically is a critical part of the forming of students of Coatesville. Coatesville must get it right!

Written By:  Karizma Washington

Red Raider Snack Shack Support!

Five years ago, the booster clubs for the Coatesville High School athletic teams who utilize the multipurpose field on the high school campus had the awesome idea of providing a 10’ x 12’ concession stand at the field. This would provide the booster clubs for the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, girls’ lacrosse team and field hockey team (and now the boys’ lacrosse team) a place to sell concessions without setting up tables & tents at each home game, and also providing a place to store items without lugging totes and coolers to and from our cars each night. We were excited to continue to provide meals for our student athletes, families, and guests while raising money for the teams as we have always done, but with much greater ease. Simple, right?

So far from it!  See the entire timeline and key details here.

Yes, I said five years ago! Five years, hundreds of emails and endless hours later. . . and we are still persevering toward this vision. We need the support of the Coatesville School Board members more than ever to get to the finish line and we need them to feel the same urgency we do. We need our final phase completed before the 2019-20 school year starts, and that is why we have asked to present our proposal at the Coatesville School Board Committee meeting July 9, where we will request approval of our final phase and the support the five booster clubs desperately need, and the student athletes deserve.

I understand that with every project there are always obstacles that should be expected, and the boosters have faced each one over the past 5 years with patience and perseverance to get to where we are today. But we are exhausted. And quite frankly we need the community and the board members' support to reach our end goal. Though the timeline I provided is condensed, it is telling. There were delays due to land development requirements the district had not met and delays due to inefficiency of expediting the process, and with each delay and each hurdle we have managed to stay positive and resourceful in finding solutions. Some of the obstacles felt more like roadblocks, because they could have been avoidable with better communication, stronger collaboration, and a greater transparency. Below are just a few examples . . .

1. Every step along the way we have had to push, push, push to get anywhere. Emails from the boosters to the district did not result in any measurable progress, and it was time consuming just to make small steps forward. We have tried to be understanding of the demands on those who work for the district and respectful of their time, but these unnecessary delays added up over the 5 years, as did the frustration and disappointment. Cathy Taschner was usually quick to respond to an email, but her responses typically did not result in any change in actions. That being said, the progress that was made to-date was made with her assistance. She made a point to be personally present at each phase of the project. While we are thankful for her involvement, we never had a speedy ‘get it done’ moment result, and her personal involvement was less efficient because everything had to be managed based on her availability and other priorities. Further, we have never had anyone involved from the district reach out to us first to help us move toward continued progress. If we never sent another correspondence, I truly believe the concession stand would sit there and become an equipment shed. It is time for the District and Board Members to become more invested toward seeing this project to completion. Teamwork!  

2. There is no feeling of collaboration between the district and the boosters with this project. There is no collaboration between the different departments within the district. For instance, I have numerous emails of support for the electrical plan from day one to recently, such as Cathy Taschner’s email on October 23, 2018 where she stated. 

“Yes, you are correct, the District continues to support the project. We need the donation form for the shed. Once we have that and the shed is the ‘District property’, we can give the final ok on the electrical plans. This will allow the boosters to provide the donation form for the electrical work and the District can then submit for the permit to Caln Township”

Then on May 2, 2019 after the electrical plans were submitted, I received an email from Matt McCain stating,

“At this time, the District is the only entity that may authorize a consultation about the shed with a Health Inspector or service organization” and he went on to say, “When I began my employment at CASD, I was told that the purpose of this shed was to only store snacks and beverages for the booster clubs so that each group did not have to keep transporting all of their items back and forth for each game. My understanding is there was no plan to add electricity or any other food service equipment to this shed. While I understand the perspective of the booster clubs wanting more, there was no agreement to add anything else but the shed for the multi-purpose facility on campus. The shed is now the property of the District and is our responsibility to maintain and monitor the use of. The District also accrues the cost of maintaining the shed and any other additional permits that would be attached to turning this into a fully functional food service facility that would need to be inspected on an annual basis”

*NOTE: The electrical panel and receptacles have been in the plan since the onset, the concession stand has the electric wiring in it, the electricians & engineers have been given access to the concession stand & electrical shed, and many emails discuss the electric. 

I think the contradiction in these emails show that while top administration says they support the efforts, there is a disconnect between the outward support we hear and the directives given to those we are asked to work with to achieve our goals. More consistent collaboration is necessary between the District members and with the boosters on both this project and all projects going forward. Issues like this created the obstacles throughout and I ask that we please come together toward the same goal. 

3. A final example is the most recent obstacle. In emails after the fall 2018 season it was brought to the attention of administration and those on the email chain that the extension cord that was utilized to give power to the concession stand was not a safe option and thus we needed the electrical work completed. In an email this spring it was mentioned in an email that Randall Glass had a discussion with the Health Department and that the topic of the multi-purpose field concession stand came up with regard to what could be sold. No immediate action was taken on either count, however, within a week of us submitting our electrical plan to the district, Matt McCain emailed all boosters who use the field and said that effective immediately there would be no use of the extension cord for the concession stand and boosters could no longer sell anything but packaged foods and drinks. I questioned why there was such urgency after we submitted the electrical plan but not when the concerns were originally expressed.

This leads me to question the motive. Was is for safety or was it a roadblock? However, whatever the reason, the boosters were quick to let facilities and Matt McCain know that we wanted to work with the district to find solutions that would allow the boosters to use the concession stand as intended, while staying in compliance with the Chester County Health Department.

IN ORDER TO FINALLY RESOLVE THESE DELAYS, WE HAVE ASKED TO PRESENT OUR FINAL PHASE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND REQUEST THEIR SUPPORT TO HAVE THE CONCESSION STAND READY TO GO FOR THE FALL SEASON. 

We all need to be on the same page and work together. Please reach out to the School Board and ask them to support the final phase of our endeavor. There needs to be a more efficient way to implement positive projects that benefit our district, and there need to be more consideration to how the process can be streamlined for the parents and donors giving their time so graciously. 

Over the past four years the original vision of the concession stand did not come to fruition, but I am hopeful that our fine student athletes and amazing booster families will have the concession stand up and running this September . . . with the help and support of the School Board and Administration, and a lot of hard work from the boosters! We are ready to get it done! 

GO RAIDERS!

Written by Amy McFarland