Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workplace Climate topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District survey shows improved staff perceptions but flags concerns about speaking up
Summary
Geary County Schools staff survey returned 617 responses; district leaders said most questions saw stable or improved agreement but identified three areas for follow-up: student voice, staff fear of consequences for mistakes, and discomfort discussing problems.
Geary County Schools leaders presented the district’s second annual climate and culture survey results during the board meeting on Jan. 13, 2025, reporting 617 staff responses and modest overall increases on agreement measures while noting specific areas for follow-up.
Miss Scofield, who led the presentation, told the board the district used the same 49-question instrument as the previous year. She said the survey window ran Oct. 21–Nov. 4, and the response pool included 383 certified staff and 234 classified staff, a net decrease of 86 responses from the prior year. Scofield said the survey is anonymous and collects building-level affiliation only.
Key findings and next steps: District staff agreed (70% or higher) with many questions covering staff belief that all students can learn, clearer district communication, and increased staff involvement on district and building teams. New areas that reached the 70% strength threshold included trust in leaders and greater staff involvement in professional learning communities (PLCs), Scofield said.
Areas identified for improvement were focused and limited: improving student voice in decision making, staff concern about being able to make mistakes without consequences, and discomfort discussing problems and disagreements. Scofield said building leaders received building-level reports and will bring results to building leadership teams (BLTs) for localized analysis and action planning.
Survey mechanics and participation: Scofield said the district ran two in-person briefings and two Zoom sessions and provided a recorded link; 62% of respondents used the shared link to view the presentation on their own time. She noted the reported average completion time was 94 minutes but cautioned that the time metric is not a reliable participation measure because some respondents left the survey open and returned later.
Why it matters: Board members asked whether the indicators represent culture (shared values) versus climate (daily experience). Several board members raised concerns that a fear of discipline could suppress problem-solving conversations among staff; district leaders said the BLT-level follow-up is intended to identify whether concerns are localized and to shape remediation, professional development and communication efforts.
The board received the report; administrators said they will continue building-level follow up, expand PLC ownership, and celebrate successes while addressing the flagged areas through targeted conversations and professional development.
