The Monday night meeting of the Woodward-Granger School Board opened with a charged statement by community member Courtney Weaver, who called for the resignation of school board member Jennifer Benbow in the wake of a May 19 Facebook post by Benbow.
Weaver claimed Benbow “smeared” students, parents, teachers and coaches with her Facebook statement and violated the school board’s code of conduct for members.
Benbow posted what she herself referred to as a “rant” on her personal Facebook profile three weeks ago. In her post, she states that after graduating from the W-G school system herself and now putting her daughter through the W-G schools, she is “struggling to stay positive.”
The heart of Benbow’s concern was this: “The majority of our kids are snotty, stuck-up brats who show no respect for people who are not part of ‘the group.’” She offered the example of a group of students badmouthing another student who is standing only a few feet away.
Benbow placed the blame for this problem — and the responsibility for fixing it — squarely in the hands of parents who themselves engage in bullying behaviors.
“Your own stuck-up ways are rubbing off on your offspring,” she said, “and they will not learn to show respect for others if you continue to support their childish ways. Help them grow up to be a supportive classmate and teammate!”
To those who excuse bad behavior by writing it off as simply what high schoolers do, Benbow said, “No, your kids can have fun in high school and still be respectful of others.”
Benbow noted in her Facebook post that she has addressed this issue with teachers, coaches and administrators before and will continue to be outspoken.
“I am not ashamed for standing up for what I believe in because I know right from wrong,” she said. “My parents and family taught me how to show respect and decency to others.”
Weaver, who currently has children in the Woodward-Granger third, sixth and tenth grades, and herself was a Hawk from kindergarten through eighth grade, said at the June 18 meeting that Benbow’s post was “unprofessional” and a violation of the school board’s code of conduct.
She upbraided Benbow for “calling names and casting judgment” on students, parents, teachers, coaches and administrators, finishing her statement with a call for Benbow’s resignation from the board of directors. She said she gathered 60 signatures from like-minded community members.
None of the board members replied to Weaver’s statement at Monday’s meeting. Benbow said Tuesday morning she was “finding out that some of the people who signed the petition were told it was because ‘someone’ was trying to get coaches fired. Some didn’t realize it was about me even.”
Other issues attracting the board’s attention at the meeting included concerns over hiring a curriculum consultant, proposed changes to school handbooks, the purchase of new wrestling mats for the middle school and high school and the resignation of President Dr. Derek Petry from the board.
While the plan to hire a curriculum consultant was ultimately approved, the high price of that service — $450/day, typically within a 70-day contract — generated significant discussion of the pros and cons of a curriculum consultant before approval was officially given.
WGCSD Superintendent Brad Anderson, who recently sat down with a curriculum consultant to discuss what her services entailed, described the role as “someone to come in and look at our entire system from an outside perspective.”
It was further clarified that the curriculum consultant would evaluate current practices and processes, then make recommendations for changes and assist in implementing those changes.
District 4 Director Ashley Brandt brought up the differences in organization, style and tone among the various handbooks in use for each building, suggesting the books could be improved by more cohesiveness.
“As we’re working to become one district,” Brandt said, “the more we can present ourselves in a similar fashion — I’m going to talk corporately for a second — from a customer experience, the more uniform we make that experience, the better that it will be for the people that are digesting the information. The content is going to feel a little different, sure, but the voice and the brand should look and feel the same.”
While there was some debate over exactly what should be similar and what might reasonably differ between the handbooks, the general consensus of the board seemed to fall in line with Brandt’s position.
“You’re right,” Petry said to Brandt. “Consistent is not a bad thing.”
Activities Director Matt Eichhorn spoke on the issue of new wrestling mats. Of the current mats, he said, “they’re 600-pound mats apiece, and there’s six sections. When you carry the mats, it’s 600 pounds with eight guys trying to carry it across.”
The new mats, Eichhorn said, would come in seven sections, and “two guys apiece can carry each section. We have storage space for them. The cheerleaders, if they wanted to, can use them because it’s a similar mat. It’s safer. it’s easier to move.”
The board approved purchase of two new wrestling mats.
The final subject discussed at the meeting was the resignation of School Board President Derek Petry from the board of directors.
“I just want to say how thankful I am for the opportunity to serve with you guys for the past years,” Petry said, claiming the experience had been “very educational.” He said that he and his wife had come to “really love this community,” but they chose to accept his new job and relocation because “it’s what’s best for our family.”
Petry’s fellow board members thanks him for his service to the district’s youth and wished him well in his new venture.
“You’ve been steadfast, a good sounding board, and given really great advice,” Brandt said.
“I still think you should commute,” District 2 Director Dave Elliott added with a grin.
The board of directors will appoint a new member at the July meeting. The open position will be published on June 28, and interested parties will have 14 days from that date to submit themselves as candidates.
I commend Ms. Benbow for her post. I come from a large family, and all of my brothers and sisters have graduated from W-G, with the oldest graduating in 1975, and this has been a problem for as long as I can remember, even when my own kids and nieces and nephews attended W-G. Sounds like Ms. Weaver is afraid of her social status being tarnished.