Focus

Group Report Executive Summary

February 25, 2015

This Executive Summary synthesizes the experiences and perceptions of participants in parent and staff focus groups conducted on
Feb. 22 and 23, 2016. TeamWorks International, Inc. was asked by the leadership of Stillwater Area Public Schools to conduct three
independently facilitated focus groups for the purpose of convening stakeholder parent and staff voices from across the district. The
participants were asked to share their personal experiences with Stillwater Area Public Schools and perspectives on the Building
Opportunities to Learn and Discover (BOLD) proposal.
In compiling the perspectives, TeamWorks International used the Whole System View FrameWork, assigning insights to one of three
areas of the system. As an interdependent system, the areas often overlap; we have taken the liberty to record each insight in only
one area to minimize redundancies.

Work Arena
The Work arena is the economic portion of the organization and the human, physical and financial resources needed to provide for
that work. It is the tangible aspect of the district, the WHO and WHAT.

Organization Arena
The Organization arena is composed of the internal structures and systems and external networks that provide the "order" and
connections of the organization. It is HOW things are accomplished.

Culture Arena
The Culture arena holds the mission, purpose, story, spirit and relational norms and expectations of an organization. It defines the
meaning and purpose for the existence of the organization and exerts a strong influence over the allocation of resources for both
the Work and Organization arenas. This is most often intangible and dictates WHY we do things as we do.
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Experience Themes
Focus group participants were first invited to walk through their experience of the education and support provided by the Stillwater
Area Public Schools. The following experience themes will be expanded upon in the full report:

Deep appreciation for the teachers and support staff in all of the buildings. This was one of the few consistencies in the
participants experiences.
Wonderful educational experiences for many children and some difficult educational experiences for some.
High concern of multi-year cycle of financial instability.
The lasting effects of the turnover in district and building leadership including: Confusion/changes in direction, inequities in
services across schools, inconsistent/poor implementation of initiatives, myriad decision-making processes, communication
issues, restarts in community and relationship building and a resulting feeling of being forgotten.
Past non-action and reverse decisions that compounded issues and created a perception of haves and have-nots.
Program differences seen both positively (choices) and negatively (intermittent services that should be assured).
Surprise among some participants to hear first-hand about the resource inequities including: computers and other
classroom technologies, library materials, support services.
Agreement on what BOLD is seeking to achieve (goal of success for all students) with differing positive and negative
perspectives on how the district has proceeded and should move forward.

Focus Group Report Executive Summary

February 25, 2015

Benefits and Risks of BOLD

The following is a sampling of the benefits and risks of the BOLD proposal outlined by focus group participants, should it be
approved by the school board. The complete list of perspectives will be submitted with the full report in these three categories.

WORK
Services provided in house to
students with fully present student
advocates and psychologists
Possible increased enrollment
Save and stabilize funding
Adult education in a centralized
location and fully accessible
Bigger % of budget focusing on kids
instead of buildings
Stabilized staffing annually and less
uncertainty

BENEFITS

RISKS

That there will not be the expected

savings projected given the
cost/financial risk of multifaceted
change with so many variables
Creating schools similar in size and
style cookie cutter resulting in
diminished choice
Lawsuits that could take money,
time and energy away from the
district/schools and the transition
Suspicion of anything proposed in
the future (curriculum,
programming)
Leadership has spent a lot of
political capital, hard to regain trust
Losing building(s) we might need in
the future
Loss of enrollment

ORGANIZATION
Positive step toward correcting an
unintentional slide toward inequity
Stabilizing class sizes
Provide opportunities to more kids with
improved learning through fully
supported programming
Opportunity for students to grow and go
to a new school and be confident and
successful there
We can redefine ourselves and
Stillwaters value proposition

CULTURE
ALL Stillwater students are ours
Grow and move forward rather than
just hang on as a district. Feeling of
equity, inclusion with families more
willing to partner
Opportunities for people and students
to build stronger communities and
make new friends
To be able to hear each others voices
about what it is like in the trenches
and across the district get out of our
silos
To cross team/develop to overcome
obstacles and collaborate with other
schools rather than compete
Unknowns regarding borders not being
Even if it succeeds, it will be perceived
set and how they will change
as failing due to positions and filters
Whether the benefits of BOLD will
that exist now
actually happen its now a philosophy
Loss of community identities (like
and not a detailed plan
Marine) where the school is historical
A lot of the circumstances, culture and
there, part of its identity
changes have been festering for the last That the leaders will change their
several years and before BOLD was
minds after the decision because
proposed. Is this enough to fix Stillwater
some parents were vocal (historical
schools?
precedent)
Amount of change is huge and may cause Alienating communities and existing
chaos too many initiatives
parents
operational execution could fail and it
A widening community divide that
would be a bigger mess
impedes the integration of northern
Difficulty of managing, communicating,
students and their families
implementing so much change at once
That leadership will turnover once
Inability to pass a levy or bond for
again perpetuating the cycle
another generation

Advice Moving Forward

What follows is a summary of the advice offered to the board for moving the district forward no matter what the vote. The
complete list will be included in the full report.

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Please just support us, and slow down for the next two years.
There have been missteps that need to be repaired with families for or against the BOLD proposal feeling forgotten, outside
of the process and unclear about what it means for them.
Develop a long-term plan, at least five years, and stay the course.
Conduct a full financial audit by a third party and how to address/eliminate the shortfalls year after year.
Share publicly the options that were considered before BOLD share the criteria, the rejected options and why.
Have respect for schools proposed for closure and do not dismiss them as emotional parents. Provide respect to all schools.
Dont be afraid to be wrong or to take a step back.
Empower our administration to run the district more parent voice yes, but parents dont run the district.
If small schools are closed now or in the future, keep those kids together in their new schools.
Advise the new Superintendent to create cross-school district advisories (staff and parent) rather than the school-by-school
approach used now and in the past that perpetuates silos.
Once a decision is made, stick with it and dont give in only to have the decision unravel once again.
Solidify processes so we dont continue to default to the whims of whomever is in charge (board, district, and building).