Bettendorf schools host workshop to address parent concerns - KWQC

BETTENDORF, Iowa (KWQC) - Around 200 parents attended a work session Wednesday night at the Waterfront Center in Bettendorf.

Bettendorf Community School district hosted the meeting in an effort to work towards solutions for issues parents and teachers have raised with student behavior at the middle school.

Heading into the meeting, many parents hoped to hear and see something that made them feel substantial changes were coming.

“When you let kids run amok around schools, something’s going to end up happening,” said Patricia Dywiak, a parent of two Bettendorf Middle School students. “So they need to get control over it. And they need to own up for it. And they need to move on. And let us be a better Bettendorf.”

Some parents had specific changes they wanted to see.

“That they’re gonna hire more staff of color,” said James Davis, parent of one student. “That represents the population of students they’re trying to educate.”

“What we’re hoping for the most is to hear, like a plan of action of what are going to be the steps that the school is going to take,” said Jacob Beardsley, whose partner has a child at the middle school. “That the district is going to take in order to address kind of the collective concerns.”

Parents leaving the meeting, which media was not allowed into, told TV 6 the format was a presentation from the superintendent, and then small group discussions, identifying strengths, weaknesses, problems, and solutions for the administration to review.

Parent reaction to this format was mixed.

“I would say it helped, from my perspective,” said Ryan McGivern, father of one Bettendorf student. “I think it helped us be encouraged that there’s, you know, there’s actions being taken in regards to getting to understand what, you know, what are the priorities.”

“We’ll see if anything really comes from this meeting,” said Desiree Johnson, who also has one child at the middle school. “I mean, actions speak louder than words.

Other parents were less satisfied with the meeting.

“I would have liked tonight to have had the opportunity for Dr. Morris to let maybe one person at each table, stand up and talk,” said Melissa Zumdome, parent of one Bettendorf Middle School Student. “Let the parents talk.”

The school board is giving an update on the workshop at tomorrow night’s regular board meeting, we’ll update this story with more details as they become available. KWQC requested to attend Wednesday’s night meeting in person and were told no media was allowed inside.

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