The growing concern over a lack of substitute teachers in Sioux City schools was hotly debated last night a school board meeting.
The Board deferred a decision on an agreement with “ESS Substitute Solutions” to help with the district’s substitute teacher shortage. Members decided to suspend the discussion on the contract by 90 days, and scheduled a public hearing on the issue at its next meeting.
The board also elected Dan Greenwell and Taylor Goodvin as president and vice president, taking over from Perla Alarcon-Flory and Monique Scarlett. Former teachers Jan George and Bob Michaelson, who were elected November 2nd were also sworn in.
Over the past two years, Greenwell has been consistently critical of board decisions. He said the fact that nine candidates ran for three school board seats this fall, shows people want change.
“As Benjamin Franklin said, and I am paraphrasing, ‘Well done is much better than well said.’ We need to be a board that delivers well-done actions, as opposed to the empty platitudes of thank you, thank you, thank you . .. Along with the delivery of a donut. Folks don’t buy those lines anymore. The donuts are stale.”
Greenwell agreed with other board members that staff retention is the biggest problem facing the district, and it needs to be dealt with.
“This new board should step into the breach, grab a shovel, pitch in, put your skills to use, actively participate, the public has hired us to do such.”
The board last night scheduled a public hearing on the substitute teacher shortage at its next regular meeting on December 13th at 6:00 p.m. at the Education Services Building downtown.