Farm Hill Interim Principal Delivers On District Promise

On Thursday, January 12th, 2012, then Superintendent of Schools Michael Frechette told the parents gathered at the Farm Hill PTA meeting that he was "committed to turning this around...we need to be transparent with our outcomes and clear with parents, clear with students, clear with staff, and we need to talk about the issues we face. Communication here really needs work....Quite frankly, it has gone on too long." Frechette's comments were of course made in the context of the "scream room" controversy, and by Monday, January 30th, Farm Hill Principal Patricia Girard had stepped out on an indefinite leave of absence.

Girard's replacement, a former principal at both Spencer and Lawrence Elementary Schools, was called out of the classroom and back into the principal's office. Citing a need to better balance his work/life responsibilities, Mark Proffitt had previously stepped out of administrative duties with an eye toward retirement along side his wife, a veteran teacher of 35 years in the Torrington School District.

So when Dr. Frechette called and asked Proffitt to step in as interim principal, Proffitt was very upfront about his plans to retire this summer: "If I were in a different place in my life, I would love to stay here. I'm having a great time working with teachers, parents and children here at Farm Hill." Because he agreed to stay only though the end of the year, Proffitt hopes a new principal is found before the end of the year so there is time to begin the transition process while students are still in school to see what's happening.

In the meantime, in just five short weeks, parents and PTA President Apryl Dudley agree that Farm Hill is "a completely different school." Dudley commented,

I have been at the school all morning. I find it hard to leave because it is now such a happy, positive environment. I can't stress to you how much happier the staff and students seem to be now that Mr. Proffitt has been here! I just met with him this morning about more exciting and fun events he is planning for the school and our 5th graders. I look forward to working with him for the remainder of this school year and hope his positive behavior and great ideas continue next year with a new principal. The school which once had a "Black Cloud" lingering over it now has "sunshine."

Mark Proffitt obviously is excited about the positive direction he sees the school moving in. “My big issue and primary focus at this point is to gain as much positive press about the school as we can.” His secondary focus is to reach out to parents to engage in a meaningful dialog, and a third priority is to maintain open communications. To accomplish these goals, Proffitt has turned to some "old school" techniques to build community:

[Author's note: I say "old school" because it's stuff I remember from my elementary school days, and I'm fairly old, so that counts as a legitimate descriptor as far as I'm concerned.]

• There's a new white board in the main hallway at the foot of the stars that lists all the events/important information happening at the school in one place.
• All the school events between now and the end of the year are posted on the school's website.
• Morning announcements occur each morning over the intercom, including the Pledge of Allegiance*, a time for silent meditation, updates on activities, student reminders (including behavior expectation reminders), and acknowledgement of student accomplishments outside of school functions.
• Mr. Proffitt gets on each bus every morning to greet students and gets back on at the end of the day to say good-by.
• Mr. Proffitt is very visible during the day in the cafeteria, the playground, the hallway, and even in classrooms.
• On Fridays, Mr. Proffitt's Reflections go home with students, and all of the weekly letters are posted here on the school's website.
• A DATTCO bus has been arranged to pick up families from Traverse Square and Green Street for all PTA activities through the end of the year.
• The Partnership Committee has met and is ready to roll out a new Social Compact at parent conferences during the week of March 28. Parents will also get a fridge magnet listing the STARR behaviors (Safe, Trustworthy, A+ Attitude, Respectful, Responsible) the school teaches and enforces in the social curriculum.
• Mr. Proffitt personally visits Traverse Square and the Green Street Art Center as part of his after school routine to conduct parent outreach and to support the after school programs in those locations.
• The student survey on school climate, set into motion by the Superintendent's Farm Hill Support Plan, has been conducted and is awaiting final review.

While concrete evidence of changing attitudes satisfies even the most serious doubters, also noticeable was a language change: Mr. Proffitt used words like positive, caring, responsive, pro-active, vigilant, firm, respectful, and visible to describe his job and his focus. He also spoke confidently of his "menu" of choices to address student behavioral issues as they arose, and easily rattled off more than half a dozen options available to him when students act out. Not coincidentally, no phone calls have been made to the police since Proffitt's arrival more than five weeks ago, and he insists that the atmosphere on the buses has changed for the better.

"When you expect kids to misbehave, of course they do. When you expect a high standard of behavior out of kids, then they rise to your expectations and behave well, " Proffitt explained. This pro-active focus, instead of a reactive one, seems to have won over the hearts of Farm Hill students and parents, and many are already wishing Proffitt would stay. Assistant Superintendent Barbara Senges confirmed that the search for a new principal is underway, with the "in-house" posting closing this week. This means that by contract, Senges has to post the job opening to district administrators first. Senges also talked about the selection process itself:

There will be parents on the Committee and the plan is to have finalists meet parents and staff prior to the Board making its choice. It is also our hope to have someone chosen before the end of the year, so that there will be an opportunity for the community to meet the new principal.

In the end, Proffitt admitted that a school is "only as successful as our parents' involvement," meaning that he needs parental wisdom, support, and thoughts on how to challenge and support all Farm Hill students. He went on to say, "I need to let parents know 'we need you,' and if we have their unconditional support, that's key!" Proffitt also credited Donna Merino, the District's Parent Resource Coordinator, as a key player in the effort to reach out and engage parents in the school's mission.

Now, if only Public Works could make some headway on the parking lot situation, Farm Hill might just be well on the road to sunnier days!

*In case you're curious...

I'm from the Midwest originally, and I've never experienced a school that didn't have morning announcements and a collective Pledge of Allegiance to start the day. Eighth graders at my school had the honor of reading morning announcements and leading the Pledge. It was a nerve-racking rite of passage, but an awesome one at the same time. I have to admit I was a little shocked to hear that the pledge wasn't part of the morning routine at Farm Hill. Here's what I found out after a review of state law and BOE policy:

C.G.S. Sec. 10-230. Flags in schoolrooms and schools. Policy on the reciting of the "Pledge of Allegiance".

(c) Each local and regional board of education shall develop a policy to ensure that time is available each school day for students in the schools under its jurisdiction to recite the "Pledge of Allegiance". The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to require any person to recite the "Pledge of Allegiance".

Middletown Public Schools Policy 6115 (a) Pledge of Allegiance

Each school within the district shall provide time each school day for students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Such recitation is voluntary.

I'm not trying to start an argument about whether or not the Pledge forces religion on those not wishing to have it, I'm simply trying to point out that simple rituals have immense power to create community. I suppose someone could also call it brain-washing if he or she were really anti-government, but please try in good faith to see what I'm after. There was no magic used at Farm Hill to make a huge difference in a small amount of time...no pixie dust, nothing in the water, no secret formula. It was simply good customer service, plain old common sense, and a man who loves children and teachers leading in a job he absolutely adores. So let's replicate those efforts everywhere we can! We can get behind all the other fine teachers and administrators in our town, collectively expect the leadership that brings the results we desire, and push hard in the direction of the change we want [and yeah for the Pledge of Allegiance too]!