Teachers tell Longview School District board communication stalled for outdoor school fundraising

During public comment at the Sept. 22 meeting, two district teachers urged the board to act to preserve and support the district outdoor school program (referred to in testimony as CisPis/Cispo) and said district staff had not been given the information needed to begin fundraising and planning.

Patricia May, who identified herself as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Columbia Heights and a co-director of the district outdoor school program, said staff and volunteers have been trying since May and June to begin fundraising and "still waiting," and that she feels "misled and lied to by the district because nothing has been moving forward."

"I just feel like I've been misled and lied to by the district because nothing has been moving forward," Patricia May said during her public comment.

Jody Elum, who said she teaches fifth grade, told the board she regularly fields questions from students and families about whether they will attend the outdoor school and said, "There's been no communication with the staff. There's been limited communication with families." She asked the board for clarity and to put the item on an agenda for fuller consideration.

Board members acknowledged the concerns and described steps already in progress: the teaching-and-learning committee is investigating the matter, principals were asked to consult with fifth-grade teachers and bring information to an internal Sept. 30 follow-up meeting, and staff said they would continue outreach to families and teachers.

The board did not take formal action in response to the public comments but listed further inquiry in committee and among principals as the next step.

What happens next: Teaching-and-learning committee and school principals will report back, and the board will consider any proposed steps in a future meeting.