Let me set the scene: I was 40 years old, a first-year superintendent in Slinger, Wisc., and my first day on the job was also the first day Act 10 took effect in Wisconsin. As you can imagine, things were changing fast — for everyone.
That meant there was plenty we weren’t sure about: How were staff feeling? How was I doing? How would the community feel about new facility projects?
It would have been easy to not ask and just hope for the best. And that was tempting.
However, over the first few years of my superintendent tenure, a couple of experiences taught me that it’s always better to know than not know, and you should never assume the answers you’ll get.
Building an auditorium
Back in 2015, during my third year as superintendent, we saw an opportunity on the horizon. Significant district debt was set to expire, creating the perfect moment to consider going to referendum. To make the most of it, we brought in School Perceptions to help gauge community support for our proposed projects.
Several community members casually mentioned the need for either more gym space or a dedicated fine arts area, since our fieldhouse was serving both purposes. So, when it came time to draft the community survey, I asked the board to include a question about building an auditorium.
That didn’t go over smoothly.
Several longtime board members immediately pushed back, insisting that the Slinger community would never support a dedicated space for band and choir. They felt they already knew how people would respond and didn’t see a reason to even ask.
After some long — and at times heated — discussions, we finally agreed: it was just a survey. A safe place to ask questions. Including the auditorium didn’t mean it would automatically end up on a ballot. Still, even after that decision, a few board members continued to say, “We know they won’t support the auditorium.”
Three short months later, the survey results came in: 55% of respondents were in favor of building an auditorium. After some design changes that reduced the cost, we took the proposal to referendum. It passed, 60-40.
Today, an 810-seat auditorium stands proudly in the heart of the Village of Slinger, right next to the school’s fieldhouse.
That experience taught me two important lessons long before I joined the School Perceptions team:
- A survey is not a referendum. It’s a smart and safe way to explore ideas — especially ones you or your community have wondered about.
- Never assume you know how everyone feels. A survey gives voice to the entire community, not just those who pull you aside at the Christmas concert or speak up at meetings.
Surveying staff
Not long after we wrapped up our community survey and gained some valuable insights, my school board asked me to take the next step: survey our staff.
The idea of checking in with staff was both exciting and honestly, a little intimidating. I wanted to know how things were going... but I also braced myself for what I might hear.
We sent the surveys out in the spring, and just a few weeks later, the results were in. As expected, the feedback was a mix: in some areas we were doing pretty well, others clearly needed attention.
One major shift brought on by Act 10 was how we handled raises. And surprisingly, our teaching staff felt pretty good about how those raises were allocated. That was encouraging. But as we dug deeper and broke down responses by employee group, we saw something we hadn’t fully realized — our paraprofessionals were not nearly as satisfied. Their concerns about pay and workload really stood out.
Honestly, after spending so much time building a new pay scale for all staff, that part of the feedback stung a bit. It felt like a gut punch. But after sitting with it for a moment, I asked myself a simple question: “Would I rather know how they feel—or not know?”
That answer came quickly: I’d always rather know.
Because how else can you fix something if you don’t know it’s broken? What we realized was that we had done a deep dive on teacher compensation — comparing salaries, regional trends, all of that — but we hadn’t given paraprofessional wages the same level of focus. That changed immediately. Their pay became a top priority in the next budget cycle.
So yes, asking your staff how things are going can be nerve-racking. You open yourself up to criticism and tough truths. But without those truths, you can’t fix what’s wrong, and the longer it takes to start that process, the worse it’s going to be when you do. Plus, there’s a flip side: you also find out what’s working. What’s going right. And that’s incredibly validating.
At the end of the day, it comes down to a simple choice: would you rather know or not know? For me, it’s a no-brainer. When you take the time to listen, you gain real, actionable insight. You learn what to protect and celebrate — and what needs your time and attention.
In both cases, it would have been easy not to ask the question. But the Slinger School District is a better place for the entire community and for its paraprofessionals because we did.
The School Perceptions Resource Center features the voices of our team members. This post was written by Daren Sievers, Project Manager.