Parent raises concerns about nondisclosure agreements, PBIS workload; district clarifies

At the public-comment portion of the Jan. 26 Fountain Hills Unified School governing-board meeting, Nancy Lee urged the board to remove any restrictions that would prevent teachers from speaking up, saying she had learned teachers were signing nondisclosure agreements upon employment and called that a "contract of silence."

Lee said such restrictions could undermine teachers' willingness to raise concerns and criticized the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program as adding administrative tasks that distract from academic instruction. She suggested rejecting grants tied to onerous requirements and urged parents and the board to ensure teachers can speak freely.

Board members asked staff to clarify. Superintendent Doctor Sweeney said he was not aware of nondisclosure agreements for teachers and would double-check; a human-resources representative said HR had reviewed contracts and found no nondisclosure clauses, noting that contracts require professional behavior but do not prohibit teachers from speaking on their own behalf.

On PBIS, the superintendent and principals said a district team will meet to review implementation issues next week (involving principals, TJ, and Mel Reicher). The superintendent noted teachers will receive a $3,000 addendum this year specifically tied to their work with PBIS/PBS.

The board emphasized that personnel complaints should be directed to the appropriate staff or administrator and that public-comment procedure limits the board's ability to take immediate action beyond directing staff to study the matter or scheduling it for later consideration.