Last Night was the December Marietta City School Board Meeting, and during the Public Forum, several voiced their opinion on the State of the District. It was kicked off by a teacher within the district stating that the problems are not directly connected to the board but are the challenges teachers face in the classroom, such as disrespect from students and lack of parietal support. 

After this, several Fight for Marietta Schools group members spoke from a written statement in which they proposed five items for the board to consider and decide on by the January Board Meeting. 

The first of these is to Hire a Superintendent as soon as possible who is the Right fit for the district, will be here for the long term, and will not use the job as a stepping stone into their professional career. 

Next, the board should hire a third-party organization to help communicate with the staff, students, and community members. As they state, many teachers are afraid to speak out for fear of being punished or losing their jobs. 

The third proposed item is for Russ Garrison to step back from the Curriculum committee. They feel his intentions are in the right place, but he has developed a micromanagement system over the teacher. 

The fourth item is for John Lehman to step down from the board of education or step back from hiring committees besides the search for a superintendent. Many fear him and his intentions on the board. 

The fifth and final idea was for each board member to sign an MOA with coaches Ron Kidder and Jason Schob, stating they will be fully supported up to the 2027 seasons. This would be done as a last-ditch attempt to persuade the coaches to remain in the district as Head Volleyball and Head Football coaches. 

The group says if the board ignores these requests and does not work with the group towards what they believe is a brighter future for the district, they will begin to fight against the Marietta School Levy that will be on the ballot in the next election. 

Also during the meeting was a presentation from Color Guard instructor and teacher Alyssa Jones, who requested funding for a winter guard program for students. So far, she states she has 14 students in the program.