HR: ERC met nine times, answered 46 questions; district will not accept anonymous ERC submissions

Matthew Hodson, supervisor of human resources for the Terrebonne Parish School District, reported to the Education Technology and Policy Committee on May 20 that the district’s Employee Representative Council met nine times between September and May and that the council handled 46 submitted questions during the year.

"We met 9 times September through May. Over the course of that those 9 months, we answered a 46 questions that were sent to us," Hodson said. He summarized that the council has shifted to front-loading administrative and compensation questions so monthly meetings can spend more time on curriculum and student issues.

Committee members raised whether school employees could submit questions anonymously. Hodson said the ERC does not accept anonymous questions: "So we don't allow anonymous questions that I don't see us doing that." He explained that ERC representatives are elected by faculty to serve as a single point of contact and that principals are the expected first point of contact for school-specific issues before escalation to the ERC. Hodson described using a Google Form internally in some cases but said the submitted questions are routed through the ERC representative for that school so the council receives a single, vetted question from the school community.

Several members of the committee praised the ERC format as allowing school representatives to bring questions directly to the superintendent and curriculum staff. Hodson said the approach has reduced repetitive questions about timing for stipends and payroll by addressing those items up front so meetings can focus on instruction and student needs.

The ERC update was an informational item; no committee action or vote was taken on the ERC process during the meeting. The committee adjourned after the update.