Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

A look at the agenda for Tuesday night's December 1 meeting for the Monroe City Schools Board seemed to be a typical one where there wasn't anything that would lead attendees to think that it would last long. There were several guests who spoke on matters before the board that was routine in that it was informative, and did not require any action from board members. That was until it was time for each board member to give their report of what was going on in their districts or anything else that the board should know. District 1 Board Member Rick Saulsberry began an impromptu discussion on the ramifications of how the "Flex Day Initiative" has affected the school district in the short time that it has been implemented. The implementation of the Flex Day may have started out with good intentions, but it was clear after hearing from several board members, there appears that more work needs to be done. The board has not had an opportunity to gauge the success(or lack of) the program since its initial start two weeks ago. Saulsberry said that he "had concerns" for staff workers regarding the Flex Day and that he "was disappointed" in some school principals who were not taking advantage of the Flex Day. District 6 Board Member, Brandon Johnson began a passionate oratory as he spoke for at least 15 minutes on what he believes are the shortcomings of the Flex Day and what he felt the board should do about it. Johnson said that he knew from the beginning based on how things were said, that the board and Superintendent Vidrine were not about making the hard decisions to implement the Flex Day across the district. He acknowledged that every school has a different story, but the board's actions put the principals "on the spot" from something that wasn't their idea. Perhaps telling principals it was up to them to take advantage of the Flex Day, to which all principals have not done is what makes things complex. There are those who work within the district who believe that all of the employees and students do not benefit from the Flex Day. The issue now is some see other people doing things differently from what they are mandated to do, said Johnson. Johnson seemed to be casting the blame for how the Flex Day has operated in its short duration on the board, saying that if they are to blame, then they are to blame. Johnson didn't say outright that the Flex Day should be shelved, but it was clear from his comments that the Flex Day perhaps deserved a second look going forward.

Johnson also shared COVID-19 concerns and how the board would address the health issues of students going forward when he shared the story of how he got a call from his daughter's school that she had been exposed. Johnson said that he is fighting for every child, but it is different when it's your own. He offered that it was difficult to comfort a frightened child; when it comes to COVID-19, decisions have to be made and the board should be a part of those decisions. District 7 Board Member Sharon Neal Greer agreed with Johnson, as she said that, "It is the responsibility of the board(with administrators) to make the final decision for the children to see that policies and procedures are fully implemented." Neal would go on to say that the Flex Day was implemented as a whole for the district and that schools should abide by what the board exercised. Neal closed by wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year", which brought laughter from those in the Henrietta George meeting room. When Superintendent Brent Vidrine was asked by Johnson about the board's status concerning COVID-19 restrictions, Vidrine said that the district would remain in Phase 3, rather than revert back to Phase 2 since Gov. John Bel Edwards' mitigation changes did not affect their approval for the district to stay where it is.