SHAWANO, WI- Concerned citizens are asking the Shawano School Board to call for a special meeting to ask Superintendent Randi Anderson to resign immediately. The letter lists reasons including policy violations having to do with the Responsibilities of the District Administrator and not fulfilling obligations of the District Administrator job description.
“We are a school district in crisis! We the parents, residents, and staff of the Shawano School District do not
have confidence in Randi Anderson to lead us another day longer.”
The letter addressed the financial challenges that the district is having and linked that to failed leadership of the superintendent. It also states that Anderson has not fulfilled communication and community relationship obligations.
It also addresses concern with staffing and turnover in the district. “She does not respect our experienced teachers and staff and sees the departure of them as an ‘opportunity to recruit new ones.”
Finally, the letter addresses a recent petition for her removal as well as a staff survey that showed negative responses. “We fear the district will not recover from this crisis. Mrs. Anderson’s failed oversight of our district has led to a
complete lack of community trust and confidence in her as evidenced by the 1200+ community signatures on the
petition calling for the resignation of Randi Anderson and a lack of teacher trust and confidence in her as
evidenced by the SEA Teacher Survey results presented by SEA President, Matt Brunette.”
The letter was sent to each board member and can be read in it’s entirety below.
Shawano District School Board,
We are a school district in crisis! We the parents, residents, and staff of the Shawano School District do not
have confidence in Randi Anderson to lead us another day longer. We are in a fiscal and personnel crisis, and
we are asking the Shawano District School Board to call for a special meeting to ask Mrs. Anderson to resign,
effective immediately for direct violations of po1230 – RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DISTRICT
ADMINISTRATOR and not fulfilling her obligations pursuant of her DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR JOB
DESCRIPTION, po1400.01.
Our school district is once again facing daunting challenges which are directly linked to the failed leadership of the
superintendent. In a short couple of months, our district has negatively owned local and regional media headlines.
First, a $2.2 million budget deficit resulted in the elimination of several contract positions through non-renewals
and “encouraged” retirements. This deficit also led to serious discussion of closing a school building. Necessary
or not, this shortfall caught the community and staff completely off guard, highlighting poor communication by our
district superintendent intensifying the already present mistrust of our district leadership and district board.
Mrs. Anderson has not fulfilled the following Communications and Community Relationships obligations
pursuant to her job description:
• “Demonstrate and foster an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.”
• “Promote and maintain effective communication between and among Board members, staff, and the
community.”
• “Demonstrate and adapt the skills necessary to build community support for District goals and priorities.”
Second, she did not act responsibly knowing the district was facing an incredible budget shortfall: by spending
resources at a disproportionate rate; by hiring additional administrative staff to accomplish standard administrative
functions; by implementing a complete overhaul of our technology infrastructure, hardware, software, and learning
platforms; and by hiring many consultants while knowing that a number of teachers’ positions would have to be
‘right-sized’ to balance any budget deficit.
Mrs. Anderson has not fulfilled the following Operations and Resource Management obligation pursuant to her
job description:
• “Anticipate and respond to current, emerging, and future needs in a timely manner.”
• “Demonstrate fiscal responsibility by acquiring, allocating, and managing human, material, and financial
resources.”
Third, she does not respect our experienced teachers and staff and sees the departure of them as an ‘opportunity’
to recruit new ones. Staff does not feel safe to speak openly about issues, and many have privately stated that
they fear retribution. Complaints have been filed against the district administrator citing harassment and a hostile
work environment, without resolution. In the past 20 months, retirements and resignations have risen 75% over
the prior 36 months combined. The number of staff and administrative departures continues to grow, as many
teachers and administrators are seeking employment elsewhere with nearby districts recruiting our teachers at an
alarming rate. We have lost three school administrators in the last month. This is unprecedented! The recent
departure of a critical administrative staff position, Candi Huber, Human Resources Director, is just one in a long
list of district office personnel our district administrator has been unable to retain.
Mrs. Anderson has not fulfilled the following Human Resources Leadership and Professionalism obligations
pursuant of her job description to:
• “Ensure consistent processes for recruitment, employment, induction, and mentoring of employees
resulting in the retention of high-performing and diverse personnel.”
• “Provide the vision and direction for positive employee relationships.”
• “Ensure structure and support for effective conflict resolution.”
• “Adhere to legal, moral, and ethical standards and demonstrate personal integrity in all interactions.”
We fear the district will not recover from this crisis. Mrs. Anderson’s failed oversight of our district has led to a
complete lack of community trust and confidence in her as evidenced by the 1200+ community signatures on the
petition calling for the resignation of Randi Anderson and a lack of teacher trust and confidence in her as
evidenced by the SEA Teacher Survey results presented by SEA President, Matt Brunette.
The mistakes have been too many and the inability to genuinely connect with our district staff and community is
ever-present. Long-time district partners are dismayed. Parents are looking at alternative school options.
Teachers and support staff are looking elsewhere for employment. Dedicated school district advocates feel
unheard and dismissed for voicing their serious concerns with Mrs. Anderson.
In what world does a leader with this record keep her job? We are calling on Mrs. Anderson to show her
respect for our school district and our community and resign immediately or for this district board to commence
with terminating her contract. There is more than enough cause to remove her from her position at this time.
The economic standing and reputation of our district has been damaged and we fear that we will not be able to
attract quality candidates to fill the recent and upcoming staff vacancies. We respectfully demand that the
Shawano School District Board act swiftly regarding this matter. Please stabilize our district with an interim
superintendent and help restore some level of confidence in our schools. Our children, families, and hard-working
staff deserve better.
Sincerely,
Shawano School District Community
Comments