GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Parents of Washington Middle School students were given a chance to have their voice heard Monday during a series of listening sessions being held by the Green Bay Area School District.
During a June school board meeting, now former sixth grade teacher, Kirsten Westcott, addressed concerns of unsafe conditions for students and staff.
Sara Anderson has a daughter will be entering 8th grade this fall.
She attended the meeting and says she would like the school to do a better job communicating with parents.
“I didn’t know a lot of this stuff was happening and then all of a sudden it hits the news and you’re concerned. My daughter comes home and she tells us stories but she’s 13 you can’t always be taking it seriously, but I feel bad now that I didn’t take her a little more seriously,” Anderson said.
Other parents are pleased with the way the district is handling the alleged abuse.
Steve Engels’ daughter is heading into 7th grade this fall and says he’s happy with the way the district has responded.
“I do feel like they’re (the school district) doing enough. Coming to the meeting I thought it going to be a meeting of them telling us what they’re doing, but this was a meeting of them asking us what else could we do,” said Engels. “I think that most middle schools in America have middle school events that occur.”
Parent Louisa Barman, who’s also a teacher in another school district, had this suggestion at the meeting.
“I think as parents and as community members we need to participate and get involved and make sure that we’re all keeping this moving forward,” said Barman. “The general population in the area doesn’t understand that teaching as a whole, you see this in every school. It’s a difficult time to teach.”
During a June 5, 2017 school board meeting, Westcott alleged disorderly students have taken over the school inflicting ‘physical, verbal, emotional, mental, and sexual abuse’ on fellow kids and staff members.
The media was not allowed to attend the listening sessions.
