OXFORD – The description of a session Oxford’s top administrator will be presenting at an out-of-state conference later this month has become a bone of contention for some community members.
According to the event’s online catalog, Superintendent Randall Squier is slated to present a session entitled “Go, Team, Go” during the National Staff Development Council’s 5th Annual Summer Conference, to be held July 19-22 in Boston.
While the session will focus on the strides the district has made in fostering a collaborative work environment and increasing test scores, critics say the wording chosen paints a dismal view of the district before the current superintendent came on board and inflates the achievements made under his leadership.
“It’s a misrepresentation. This is not Oxford that is described,” said High School Teacher Elizabeth Shaefer, refuting the characterization of the district as “three autonomous schools housing isolated teachers” prior to Squier’s arrival.
McDonough resident Fred Bateman, who presented the board with a letter signed by himself and other concerned community members, also spoke out against the description, calling it “disrespectful.”
Bateman also took issue with a line in the description which states that changes Squier has made have lead to the achievement of “perfect scores” on both the Algebra and Life Sciences Regents examinations, when in fact no students had received a 100 on the Algebra exam.
School Board President Robin DeBrita claimed the statement used a “different definition of perfect,” signifying that all students who took the exam received a passing grade.
“It could have been worded differently,” she admitted.
When Board Member Dawn Golden questioned who had written the description, Squier replied that he had penned the original proposal for the session which was then paraphrased by NSDC for the conference’s online catalog.
“I wrote most of it,” the superintendent said.
Although originally a teacher and administrator from the district were also slated to attend the conference, Squier will now be the only Oxford representative making the trip to Boston. According to DeBrita, the conference fees will be $867, which include accommodations as well as breakfast and lunch during the four day trip. Additional expenses will be incurred for travel and dinners during the excursion.
The cost caused some to question the benefit to the district of having the superintendent make the presentation.
“What makes presenting at a conference in Washington, D.C. or Boston ‘what’s best for the kids’ right here in Oxford?” asked Special Education Teacher Kathy Hodge, who is also a district taxpayer.
Squier responded that, as with any professional development opportunity, he planned on bringing back what he learned at the conference with other district staff members.
“I feel like I have an obligation. I agreed to present,” he said, adding that arrangements were made for the trip in November of last year.