FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

There is Nothing as Effective as a Bunch of Facts to Spoil a Good Rumor or (I Hear ?? is Going On Up There At That School –

Part II since I think we already did this last year)

     What IS going on up there at that school?  We are still educating the brightest students in the Panhandle of Texas with the help of the most dedicated faculty and staff.   However, there appears to be discussion in the community to the contrary; hence, the purpose of this article.  I understand that a rumor with no leg to stand on will make it’s way around one way or another, but rumors are 100% hurtful to anyone involved – the people the rumor is affecting and those who choose to spread it.  If there is any question about anything going on pertaining to the district, pick up the phone and ask the questions to someone that knows – 226-7331.  In this article, I will dispel two such rumors detrimental to the district.

1.   Rumor:  There’s MRSA (a type of antibiotic resistant Staph infection) at the school and 

                      there’s nothing being done about it.        

    The Facts:  There are zero confirmed cases of MRSA at Claude ISD at this time nor has there been in the two years I have been here.  There is, however, a heightened awareness held by all staff pertaining to the potentially dangerous situations that can occur in schools with Staph infections.  District custodial staff are on alert and disinfect all common areas such as locker rooms and bathrooms daily, teachers, coaches and the school nurse ensure all student scratches and cuts are covered with some type of bandage, all classrooms and work areas are supplied with disinfectant wipes and waterless hand sanitizer, children have been taught the correct way to wash their hands, and the locker rooms have been scrubbed down and disinfected.

     It is important to remember that staph cannot be eliminated because it is everywhere.  Because staph is everywhere, it has the potential to cause infection and it is everybody’s responsibility to play their part in prevention.

2.    Rumor:  They’re going to hire an assistant principal because the high school principal 

                    cannot do his job; or

       Rumor:  They’re going to hire an assistant superintendent because the superintendent

               cannot do her job.  

       The Facts:  The CISD Board of Trustees has authorized the hiring of an additional administrative position for the next school year, but not because the high school principal or the superintendent cannot do their jobs.    Why?  Because the whole complexion of education has changed and is still changing.  There were 6 mandates implemented this school year alone that require additional training, and time, not for just one person in a school district, but for the whole staff – physical fitness assessments for all students grades 3^rd through 12^th, school bus evacuation training, steroid testing, TAKS-alt, Special Education program evaluation-the initial “Response to Intervention” requirement.  Teachers need precise, readily available, daily assistance to learn new ways to teach and reach all students.  In one statement, all the changes required to provide what is required to students is bigger than we are now.  A curriculum/instruction/programs person is what is needed – NOW.  

     There are three ways people know what you stand for:  how you spend your time; how you spend your money; and how you treat people.

Respectfully Submitted,

Laura Zanchettin

Superintendent – Claude ISD