The Future of District 112's "Character"

Like many of you, I recently read that Superintendent Behlow will be retiring, and an outside firm will be performing a “national” search for his replacement.

I thought, therefore, that this would be a good time to share some concerns regarding the apparent culture of the District under Dr. Behlow's tenure and express some hopes for the future.

Last week, on a sport's radio talk show, a commentator expressed his belief that the reason the Chicago Bear's offensive line hadn't yet had any pre-snap penalties was that the team mimicked the disciplined personality of its new head coach. This would not be a surprising organizational phenomenon. So, I've wondered, have certain troubling actions of two District 112 administrators been the result of a similar dynamic?

Some of you may remember my having written two years ago about the dangerous soccer post holder in a grade school playground that caused my stepson to suffer a leg laceration requiring 30 stitches. The administrator in charge of grounds made no effort to offer solace, to initiate communication or to investigate the danger. Only my constant prodding of him and my contacting a government safety agency as well as the manufacturer led to his taking action nearly one year later. The small but effective step he ultimately took (adding dirt and sod around the soccer post) could have been initiated immediately. Why wasn't it?

Last Spring, my wife and I met with the Principal of another son's school to discuss our concerns regarding the evaluation and actions of a young teacher and the school social worker. As a Psychiatrist who served for ten years as the Medical Director of Psychiatric Services at Highland Park Hospital and as the current Medical Director of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital I thought I could make a contribution by requesting that the administration review their policies and procedures (we are not parents who blame the schools and idealize our children). Also at that meeting was an Assistant Superintendent who appeared to listen attentively to our concerns and then reviewed a two-page document of recommendations I'd created in collaboration with incredulous colleagues and administrators from outside our school district. At the end of the meeting the Assistant Superintendent pledged to follow up by bringing the document to a meeting of District Principals and other staff.

Given that there were only a few weeks left of school we were determined to be patient. We had the administrator's word that he would be in touch unlike the director of school grounds (we even discussed that experience with him, and he appeared sympathetic). After a month into this school year I decided to send a polite e-mail to him asking if he'd had an opportunity to follow through. I received no reply. I gave the process another week and decided to try again. This time, he wrote back, apologizing for his previous lack of response and stating he'd reviewed the District 112 policies and procedures, that they followed appropriate standards and that the school attorneys had reviewed them. They would remain as is. In effect, his pledge last Spring to review my recommendations with others and to initiate contact with us were discarded.

Now I realize that other parents may have had very different experiences with District 112 administration. You may find District upper management sensitive, responsive and communicative. You may know Dr. Behlow personally (we do not), have knowledge about Dr. Behlow's administrative style and believe that the mantra “Character Counts” is owned by him as much as it's promoted within the schools. However, it just may be that this is an administration that acts defensively, defiantly and without regard for appropriate communication or prior commitments.

Whether these administrators have been on their own in their actions, Dr. Behlow has had his stamp on them and/or he has created a culture based on a fear of litigation I do not know. What I do know is that finding a new Superintendent offers the opportunity to create a new top-down culture. I hope the current school board is sensitive to the ideal that “character counts.” Parents and school administrations who take a “Do as I say, don't do as I do” approach are neither good teachers nor good role models.