No action taken on exit interviews with the board

CLINTONVILLE – The Clintonville Board of Education took no action on changing a policy to allow district employees who are leaving the district to request an exit interview in closed session with the entire board.
Allowing exit interviews in closed session with the entire board was discussed at the board’s June 8 meeting. During the Public Comments portion of the meeting, two teachers who had resigned spoke about what they called lack of support from the district’s administration. One of the teachers urged the board to allow exit interviews with the entire board, something she had requested following her resignation, but it was denied.
During the discussion, Board Clerk Laurie Vollrath and board member Jason Moder, both said it would be worth listening to an employee who is leaving the district.
“We’ve talked about it (exit interviews) a million times and it’s apparent that it hasn’t been getting done,” Moder said. “I feel that the district’s employees need other areas that they can turn to in time of need or time to get things off their chest if it’s about different individuals. In my opinion, staff should be able to come to board members.”
Kuhn said he disagreed.

“If a staff member does not feel they’re being treated equally or unfairly by an administrator, that is why we have the grievance policy,” Kuhn said.
Vollrath asked how the grievance policy would be used for an employee leaving the district.
Kuhn said the board approves and terminates the contracts of district employees, but it does not evaluate individual employees.
“So again, disgruntled employees that don’t feel they’re being treated equally, we have other policies in place for them to follow,” Kuhn said. “If you guys want to allow this, again, I’m fine with it, I would also then put in what is going to be their time limit, what are they allowed to say, or is it going to be a free-for-all. Because then what is going to happen, if they are disgruntled and they’re going to come in and bash an administrator, now do we allow that administrator to come in to defend themselves? What is the process going to be? That’s why you have a grievance procedure.”
Board member Christopher Hoffmann asked if it was accurate that an exit interview was not granted to one of the departing employees who spoke earlier in the meeting.
Kuhn said he did not know the answer to that question.
Hoffmann said he wants the district to create a culture that employees feel is an “open door policy.”
Moder said the number of employees in the special education department that the district lost this year is “alarming.”
“The same thing is driving out all these people that were great employees at one time or another, as told to us,” Moder said. “We need to figure out what that problem is.”
Hoffmann said he had an issue with threats being made against any teacher in the district, and the board not being informed about that threat prior to an exit interview.
Kuhn said what the board considers a threat, could be different than what the Department of Instruction (DPI) or the police department consider a threat. He added that every district case that went before the DPI was dismissed.
Hoffmann said the safety of a teacher should still take priority. He said an actual perceived threat should have been discussed by the board in closed session.
“I’m going to again disagree with you because I know more about that specific situation and I’m not discussing that in open (session),” Kuhn said.
Kuhn said what also makes the situation more difficult in the district is the fact he is also responsible for human resources in the district.
“If I was not human resources, there would be another person for them to go to,” Kuhn said.
Board President Ben Huber asked if the district could contract with CESA 8 for human resources issues like this.
Kuhn said it would be difficult for teachers to contact a third party outside the district with complaints.
“I will do whatever you guys want to do,” Kuhn said. “I am just cautioning you.”
Kuhn said in his communications with superintendents at other school districts, they told him allowing exit interviews with the entire school board is not a good idea.