Dear Editor:
Lily Tomlin famously said, “I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.”
I am somebody, and I’ve been conversing with quite a few concerned and frustrated somebodies in Noblesville. I’m a husband and father of three, and I co-founded SOS Noblesville in February following the massacre that took place in Parkland, Fla. Six days later, there was a deadly shooting at Jackson Memorial Middle School in Massillon, Ohio, where I had attended as a child.
I have since endeavored to collaborate with local, state and national law enforcement, collaborating with the top security experts in the nation, including Thor Ells, National Tactical Officers Association Executive Director, and Lieutenant Colonel David Grossman, an internationally acclaimed security expert who has trained members of the Noblesville Police Department. I have had the opportunity to work closely with experts such as Mike Kersey, a multi-jurisdictional SWAT commander and national security/school safety consultant, who was instrumental in implementing and maintaining the emergency response system at Southwestern High School in Shelbyville, Ind., and has been nationally recognized as the “Safest School in America.”
Along with other members of SOS Noblesville, we presented our proposal to the Noblesville School Board on March 20, two months prior to our own school shooting, to proactively address these school safety concerns and adopt an emergency response system like Southwestern High School’s, which complies with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security Guidelines found in Public Law 27.
I offer this background to demonstrate my ongoing commitment to school safety, and assure the discerning voter that I’m not on any bandwagon to score political points.
SOS Noblesville directly addressed continuing concerns pertaining to Noblesville’s use of portable classrooms with the administration, and with the collaborative efforts of Sheriff Tim Troyer, President of the Indiana Sheriff’s Association, successfully led to the school board’s decision to discontinue the use of portable classrooms. We have additionally been advocating for Noblesville Schools to have an Independent Threat Assessment (ITA) since February, months before the May 25 shooting. An ITA is vital and essential, because an independent third party comes in and assesses all of the school structures for potential threats. An ITA also assess how effective proposed safety protocols and safety measures are in response to the identified threats.
The administration initially stated an ITA was not necessary, but reversed its stance after continued advocacy by SOS Noblesville and by many within the community in the wake of the shooting. We have been informed that an ITA will be conducted, but have yet to receive any confirmation that this has been done.
When student, staff, and faculty safety is at stake, and there’s a $50 million referendum already on the ballot, the opportunity to utilize this essential information citing identified risks to propose comprehensive, effective and prudent safety measures has been lost. Please understand that when I speak of and demand increased accountability, transparency, and fiscal responsibility from those serving you in Noblesville Schools, it’s not just campaign rhetoric.
I am an educator, having spent my professional life serving in both the secondary and post-secondary classroom setting. I pursued a Master of Divinity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and then I earned my M.Ed. in Social Studies Education from The Ohio State University. I have had a state teaching license in both Ohio and Indiana. During my transition from Ohio to Indiana, I worked at the old Noblesville Middle School. I have also served as an adjunct professor in Indiana Wesleyan University’s College of Adult and Professional Studies, and have worked in Western Governors University’s (WGU Indiana) Teachers College for the last eight years, where I serve as a faculty manager in the Elementary Education licensure programs.
I offer this to demonstrate that my support of teachers goes beyond paying “lip service,” saying what is politically expedient, to acknowledge that it is in fact my personal and professional calling. I fully support my colleagues teaching in Noblesville Schools, and genuinely believe their salaries should be more competitive with those in surrounding districts. Unlike the teachers they serve, Noblesville administrator salaries have remained competitive with their peers in surrounding districts, and I would support an administrative pay freeze until teacher compensation is equally competitive with their peers.
The Noblesville Schools Administration needs increased accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility. Without question, these are vitally important areas in need of improvement, and this election is a great start in the right direction. The community entrusts the administration with their children, which includes an unmistakable clarion call to finally address bullying, putting in “teeth” to enforce anti-bullying policies.
I’ve heard and read far too many angry and frustrated accounts of bullying from parents, who felt their concerns fell on deaf ears. These frustrations are corroborated by Noblesville Schools self-reported bullying to the DOE during the 2017-2018 school year, which noted, among other things, zero instances of bullying in Noblesville High School for that entire school year. Only one reported incident of physical bullying took place for the entire year, occurring at Promise Road Elementary. Three incidents of verbal bullying were reported at East Middle School. Only one reported incident of social bullying, occurring at NWMS. Lastly, there were three reported incidents of electronic bullying at Hinkle Creek and one such incident report at Noble Crossing.
We need accountability, and we demand the administration to enforce anti-bullying policies, to support our teachers, and protect our students.
I am proud to live in Noblesville, and fully support our teachers, staff and students. I want to strive to safeguard them when at school, which can be done without creating “a prison.” I will bring oversight, fiscal responsibility, increased transparency and accountability to the school board and administration. Our community, our teachers and our children deserve nothing less. I will work collaboratively with the administration and school board to mediate differences, find common ground, and do our utmost in service to you, the #NoblesvilleStrong.
Respectfully,
Michael Duell
Noblesville School Board Candidate