PAACT

Parents Allied for Accountability, Conduct, and Transparency

Front Office Voice Survey
Birmingham Public Schools Secretary & Office Staff Survey
Anonymous  |  Summer 2026  |  All 13 schools

PAACT is a parent coalition with families from all 13 Birmingham Public Schools. The front office is where the school meets the family, and where a lot of the day actually gets held together. The people at that desk see things no one else in the building sees, and we want to hear from you directly.

This survey is built around the district's own commitments: the Birmingham Compass Strategic Plan, the goal of two way communication with all stakeholders, and a safe environment for everyone in the building. We want to understand how close the day to day reality is to the standards the district has set for itself, in your words.

We are not here to evaluate any individual. We will report what we learn as patterns, never as anything tied to a person or a building.

Your responses are anonymous. We do not collect your name, your email, or your school. There is no sign in. We ask only which level you work at, and we report results for the whole district together, never by building. Nothing you answer can be traced back to you.

The only time we will ever contact you is if you choose, at the very end, to share an email for the office staff round table. That sign up is kept completely separate from your answers.

Which level do you mainly work at?

How long have you worked in a BPS front office or support role?

Section One

Workload and Staffing

The front office often carries whatever does not have another home in the building.

1My workload is manageable in a normal week.

2There are enough office and support staff in my building to handle the work.

3When someone in the office is out, there is a workable plan to cover the desk.

4The tasks I am asked to handle match my actual role.

5As responsibilities have shifted over the past two years, I have had the support to keep up.

Section Two

Budget and Resources

When budgets tighten, the office is often where the extra weight lands.

6When budget cuts add to my workload, I get the support to handle it.

7I have the supplies and basic resources I need to do my job.

8The office has the staffing it needs even after recent budget decisions.

Section Three

Front Office Safety

The desk is the first place a dysregulated student, an upset parent, or a visitor arrives. The Strategic Plan commits the district to a safe environment for everyone in the building.

9I feel safe at the front desk during the school day.

10When a student is sent to the office for behavior, there is a clear plan for what happens.

11When a situation at the desk escalates, I can get backup quickly.

12Visitor and front door security in my building works the way it should.

13I know the emergency and lockdown procedures and feel ready to follow them.

Section Four

Student Health and Wellbeing

Sick students, medication, attendance, and families in crisis often come through the office first.

14I have what I need to handle a sick or injured student who comes to the office.

15There is clear guidance for medication and health situations I am asked to handle.

16When I see a student who seems to need more support, there is somewhere to send that concern.

Section Five

Systems and Technology

Attendance, registration, student records, and phones run through the office every day. When the systems are weak, the office absorbs it.

17The systems I use every day for student records, attendance, and registration are reliable.

18When a system changes, I get the training and support to use it.

19The phones and front office technology work well enough to do my job.

20The day to day systems in my building are well organized.

Section Six

Communication and Information

A goal in the Strategic Plan is transparent, two way communication with all stakeholders. The office cannot run on information it never gets.

21I am kept informed about incidents and changes that affect my work.

22I get the information I need in time to do my job.

23Communication in my building goes both ways, not just top down.

Section Seven

Leadership and Voice

Office staff work closest to building leadership and see how a school is run. The Strategic Plan calls for the voice of all stakeholders.

24I feel respected and valued as a professional in my building.

25Building leadership supports me in my work.

26My input is sought on decisions that affect the front office.

27There is a real way for office and support staff to give honest feedback about how the building is led.

Section Eight

Pay, Stability, and Belonging

Holding the front office together is real work. This section is about whether that work is recognized.

28My pay is fair for the work and responsibility I carry.

29I feel secure in my position.

30I feel like a valued part of the school community.

In Your Own Words

Open Responses

All optional. Please leave out any student names or identifying details.

31What one thing would most improve your day in the office?

32What is working well that you would want protected?

33Anything else you want PAACT to understand about the work you do?

Thank you

Your responses are in.

Thank you for the time. What you shared helps parents and the board see the front office clearly, and that is where better decisions start.

One more, only if you want

Join the office staff round table

A small, off the record gathering of office and support staff. This sign-up is kept completely separate from the answers you just gave, in a different file, so the two are never linked. Please use a personal email, not your district account.

Which level do you mainly work at?

Personal email

PAACT is not here to put anyone on the spot. We are here to understand what the front office is carrying and to bring that into the conversation with the district, grounded in its own commitments to a safe building and to the voice of everyone in it.

www.paact-birmingham.com   |   paact.birmingham@gmail.com   |   Summer 2026