‘There is not a person alive that I trust more to stand beside in these times than Chris Woods’

During a Yelm Community Schools (YCS) Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8, school board president Casey Shaw addressed the audience and Yelm Education Association (YEA) for over 10 minutes on the topic of the union’s vote of no confidence in Superintendent Chris Woods.

Shaw opened his address by stating he came to the board two years ago with neither “predisposition nor inside knowledge into the inner workings of our district,” but rather he chose to volunteer his time in his role on the school board because of his love for Yelm and his care for children.

“Little did I know that within months of being elected, we would go through a levy failure, followed by a potential strike. That would then lead into three more failed attempts and what seemed like a lifetime of tough meetings and hard choices to try and keep this district solvent,” Shaw said. “I have spent the better part of two years educating myself, asking questions, and trying to understand how we got here while simultaneously trying to find ways to get us above water in a system that isn’t designed to survive without levy funds.”
Shaw added that he’s had the joyous opportunity to “fall straight into the toughest years this district has ever seen.” He also believes it’s the toughest stretch that any district in Washington has seen.

“During these two years, rather than seeing the community band together to improve the situation and its future for our kids, I have watched an unhealthy distrust between groups lead to narrative campaigns that have burned through the news media and social media to paint certain people and groups as problems,” Shaw said. “These campaigns have been devised of half-truths and misinformation to breed conflict in the community and serve to mold certain agendas that have no benefit to the true victims in this community — our kids.”

Shaw added that he’s learned a lot after two years of “diving into this district,” and that he’s discovered how “diseased” Washington state’s funding system for public schools is.

Additionally, Shaw has learned how “divisive” contract negotiations can be, and how “easily perception can become reality when only one side of an issue is portrayed.”

“I have learned that in this day and age, folks have realized that the majority of what they hear from major media sources is “fake news,” yet they believe everything they read from strangers on social media is gospel,” Shaw said. “Most importantly, I have learned that it isn’t always ‘what’s best for the kids’ in public education.”

Shaw believes it was around two years ago when negative comments regarding YCS, its operations and levy measures started to circulate on social media — coinciding around the time YCS had to begin making difficult financial decisions.

“In a world where, politically, we have grown accustomed to shouting at each other rather than listening, debating and still loving one another, these negative comments created a virus of conflict in this community that has yet to stop,” Shaw said. “For two years, groups have taken to social media and the actual media to perpetually stir this pot of hate and discontent in an attempt to not foster positive change or extend an olive branch across the aisle to work through these tough issues for the sake of the kids, but to better position themselves in a conflict that never needed to exist.”

Based on conversations Shaw has had with many people within the community, he does not believe those negative views are shared by the majority — but rather by a very small and vocal minority that has “worked tirelessly to undermine trust and breed contempt throughout this community and district.”

Additionally, in his two years on the school board, Shaw said he has not “become privy” to the entire history of the relationship between YEA and the district office. Despite that, it’s clear to the school board president that a level of distrust has seeped into the relationship and has begun to poison the entire process.

“I do not believe there is a singular entity to blame for this distrust, rather there is some level of blame to be shared by all in letting it sour this far,” Shaw said. “This distrust has led to guarded communication and unhealthy whispers rather than the partnership required to run a thriving district.”

Shaw described his two years on the board and time working with Woods as a privilege — stating he’s grown to know him, his character and his heart for kids and families in the Yelm community.

For the school board president, it’s been both unproductive and infuriating to see Woods’ character and abilities “slandered continuously.”

“The folks spreading these divisive lies do not know him, do not know the board, and do not fully understand the problems we are facing — let alone the solutions,” Shaw said. “There is not a person alive that I trust more to stand beside in these times than Chris Woods. The fact that he is still standing here today trying to fix issues that would have crippled many other districts, while simultaneously getting attacked maliciously, should tell this room that the right person is in this role.

“We are four failed levies down the rabbit hole of negative media campaigns and continuous conflict,” Shaw continued. “I’ve said repeatedly that the only way to get us out of this situation is to work together, not apart — but it does not appear this sentiment is shared by all.”

Shaw added that the magnitude of cuts that YCS has been forced to make — and are continued to be forced to make — have been extreme, with each one “hurting more than the last.” He believes the narrative that has been “regurgitated” online has led folks to believe there’s “some obvious pool of money that’s being misused” is simply not true.

“The board and the district office are not perfect and have undoubtedly made some mistakes during this process, but hindsight is 20/20 and we are learning from them. However, when 85% of your costs are people and you are forced to cut over $16 million, it should be obvious that the cuts will have to be everywhere, including personnel,” Shaw said. “Not only have I witnessed superintendent Woods being disgustingly thrashed, but I have seen negative comments being generated towards board members and other staff that the social media talking heads have latched onto. I have also watched community members try and step up to support programs, only to be lambasted for attempting to perform support roles that are currently paid for.”

Shaw added that type of behavior has not only created an environment where it is becoming extremely hard to volunteer or want to volunteer, but one in which people no longer want to get the information for themselves by placing phone calls or scheduling meetings with those they disagree with.

“Instead, the proverbial torches and pitchforks are gathered in the form of baseless online harassment,” Shaw said. “Are we trying to teach our kids that bullying and narrative control is the way to achieve our desired results? They are watching, they are listening, they are aware.”

Shaw concluded his speech by saying he’s witnessed an unhealthy lack of trust between YCS and YEA in his short, but long, two years as a board member. He believes that both sides carry some blame for this predicament and that both sides will need to modify current operating procedures for trust and YCS to heal.

“I do believe that there needs to be an ongoing increase in transparency from the district to YEA for this trust to be reestablished. There also needs to be a desire from the leaders of YEA to truly collaborate with the district or board, rather than simply complaining about the district’s organizational structure or advising us to gut the entire administration from top to bottom. That isn’t true partnership or an offering of a realistic solution that would remedy our current situation,” Shaw said. “Until there is an actual desire to put the district and its kids first, and work collaboratively, despite the recent history, we will be unable to swim above this chaos. And I do believe this desire exists amongst the majority and we, as a board, an administration, and YEA need to stop viewing each other as adversaries and start working together to find real solutions that benefit our kids.”

He added that this will require changes for all parties involved in order to increase transparency, modify how information is shared with each other and the community and to grow a level of trust between groups.

“I wholeheartedly disagree with this vote of no confidence, as it does not work towards rebuilding trust in each other and further divides this community. Superintendent Woods is the only person I trust to help us navigate these uncharted waters and those that truly know him and our current situation agree,” Shaw said. “Creating this additional turmoil and drama serves no positive purpose for our schools and our kids. And if you truly believe that the kids and their futures are a priority, then the only path forward is collaboration, not conflict; empathy, not bullying; productive dialogue and extending olive branches, not harmful rhetoric and slinging of arrows.

“Issuing this vote of ‘no confidence’ does not work towards this necessary partnership and does not work towards rebuilding this community,” Shaw later added. “Superintendent Woods has my full support, as well as the unanimous support of the entire board.”