NHCS staff climate survey shows troubling findings for confidence, trust in leadership

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Two months after the New Hanover County School Board approved sending a survey to staff to identify areas of improvement within the district, the results reveal problems with leadership, a lack of support, and a pervasive atmosphere of distrust.

Nearly 2,000 school employees took the survey, which was facilitated in coordination with the UNCW Watson School of Education.

The survey looked into three specific areas: district leadership, the board of education, and curriculum.

One question asked whether the district is a good place to work and learn. 44% of those surveyed either strong disagreed or disagreed with the statement.

66% said they didn’t feel supported by leadership. A whopping 72% reported they either disagreed or strongly disagreed that there is an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in this district.

Hundreds of written comments were also included in the survey’s results.

One comment claims the school board is disconnected from what is happening inside the classroom and instead, “They are focusing on banning books in our classrooms and limiting what we put up on the wall while our main issues are phone use, tardiness, skipping, behavior referrals, student apathy, etc.”

Others addressed the upcoming budget shortfall and staff cuts. “With upcoming staff cuts, under qualified staff are being “given” jobs in schools that they are going to be completely unprepared to do. We aren’t listened to and fear expressing our concerns,” one person wrote.

Another said district leadership has created a toxic work environment.

When it comes to district leadership, there are five key takeaways from the survey:

• Disconnect and Distrust: Many staff members feel that district leadership is out of touch with classroom realities and does not trust teachers’ professional judgment
• Top-Down Mandates: There are complaints about numerous directives from leadership without teacher input, making teachers feel controlled rather than supported
• Lack of Training and Support: Teachers report insufficient training, particularly for teaching assistants, and a lack of ongoing professional development opportunities for all staff
• Leadership Issues: There is a perception that district leadership is more focused on politics and self-preservation than on genuine educational leadership
• Resource Mismanagement: Financial mismanagement and subsequent job cuts are significant concerns, as they directly impact classroom support and teacher morale

These are the findings when it comes to the New Hanover County School Board:

• Political Influence: There is a strong sentiment that the BOE is heavily influenced by political agendas, which negatively impacts educational decisions
• Lack of Support: Teachers feel unsupported by the BOE, particularly regarding student discipline and resource allocation.
• Poor Decision-Making: The BOE is criticized for decisions that seem out of touch with classroom needs and for not adequately considering teacher feedback.

The results also showed teacher frustration over the curriculum process and the appropriateness of the curriculum.

The survey shows ‘deeply troubling findings with implications for the leadership and direction of both the BOE and District Leadership,’ the survey concluded. The survey advises the district to include educators in important decisions, include educators in curriculum decisions and ensure the curriculum changes are first piloted and assessed, and finally, the survey recommends this climate survey be conducted annually.