Many High Schools Struggling with Low Staff Morale, School Surveys Show

Employees cite lack of communication, involvement in decision making

Many Montgomery County high schools experienced a drop in staff morale last year, despite an overall increase countywide in the category, according to survey results posted online Friday morning.

A survey is administered each school year to staff and parents at each Montgomery County school to track the groups’ satisfaction with school operations. The surveys ask questions about staff access to resources and training, school safety, communication and building conditions.

This year, high school staff members were overall more satisfied with school safety. They said school leadership teams have “collaborative” work environments and include them in decisions that affect their work.

Across all 25 high schools, staff members who feel their school has a positive morale increased about 6%, but a dozen schools recorded drops in the category.

The high schools with lower ratings for morale, compared to the previous year, were: James Hubert Blake, Winston Churchill, Clarksburg, Damascus, Walter Johnson, Richard Montgomery, Paint Branch, Poolesville, Rockville, Springbrook, Watkins Mill and Walt Whitman.

At Damascus High School, where the community was stunned by a rape case in which four junior varsity football players were accused of using a broomstick to rape some teammates, staff members reported a drastic decrease in morale.

In the 2016-17 school year, about 60% of staff members at Damascus agreed there was a positive staff morale in the school. This year, only 7.6% agreed.

Fewer Damascus staff members also feel the school is safe for staff and students — 42.9% compared to 86.5% last year — and that there is open communication throughout MCPS — 6.5% compared to 32.3% last year...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/many-high-schools-struggling-with-low-staff-morale-school-surveys-show/