Editor,
It’s time for the superintendent of Ogden public schools to resign. The mission of Ogden public schools: “Maximizing educational opportunities for all students, in a safe, nurturing environment.” The superintendent has failed to keep students safe.
First, he has not implemented intruder alerts. Apparently intruder alerts exist, but are not implemented, and this equates to unacceptable, failed leadership. The incident at Sandy Hook Elementary should not have been a wake-up call. The distant past of Columbine High School, a recent summer camp shooting in Norway, and the Virginia Tech massacre in which 30 students were gunned down, indicate Ogden public schools should be prepared for intruder alerts. That all schools are not prepared is failed leadership.
Both of my children attend Ogden public schools, and neither have practiced any form of intruder alerts. Shame of the leadership of Ogden public schools, and the Ogden School Board.
The second failure of leadership occurred on Jan. 11, 2013 when a snow day was warranted, and thousands of people were put at risk. I understand the criteria - “drives the district” – is used to determine to keep school in session, but what I saw at 7:45 a.m. was a disaster: Cars were stuck all over neighborhoods, with icy, unsafe conditions to drive in. The worst safety violation was seeing kids walking to, and from, school in the streets.
The third violation happened Jan. 25 during the ice-storm. A late start was warranted, and again, hundreds of students walked to school in the streets.
Putting kids at risk is completely unacceptable, and families of Ogden deserve better, now. Suspiciously, Ogden public schools covered its tracks. It figured out that attendance was so low it could impact Title IX monies, or future federal funding, so it decided to not count Jan. 11 as a day of school.
Damage control indicates poor decision making skills, and thus failed leadership. On three serious fronts Ogden schools failed to keep our children safe, thus the superintendent failed as a leader. Any perceived educational benefits he’s brought to Ogden are worthless, as he failed in “Mission Statement and Child Safety 101, and that is unforgiveable.
Please, superintendent, step down. Pretty Please.
Brian Nefcy
Ogden
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