Goodrich-Protesters marched outside Monday’s meeting of the board of education, following the suspension of an Oaktree Elementary School teacher and mounting tensions between staff and administration.
Fourth-grade teacher Michelle LaRowe was escorted out of Oaktree Elementary School on May 4, after sending students home with a note administrators deemed objectionable. After a three day, paid suspension, LaRowe returned to class Tuesday.
The note concerned LaRowe’s decision to not participate in fourth grade camp, arguing the shortened school year did not allow time for her participation.
On April 13 2005, the board of education presented a proposal to the Goodrich Education Association, promising no layoffs of certified teachers if teachers agree to work 14 fewer days this year.
With a reduced calendar year, the school could save as much as $50,000 for each day school is not in session.
A union representative from the Michigan Education Association could not be reached for comment prior to deadline.
‘The teachers are having the worst time because of the 14 days,? said Janell Zirnhelt, a recent school board candidate and parent of three Goodrich students. ‘It’s not exactly the 14 days, it’s the way it’s been handled.?
?(Protestors) were out there to protest the way things were handled at the school,? said Zirnhelt.
‘The way the board and administration have handled things for the last year, year and a half, culminated in this.?
Superintendent Kim Hart said the suspension came in response to a teacher bringing students into the politics of negotiations.
‘Any time the students are brought into the negotiations process, we are forced to get involved,? said Hart. ‘It’s important that no matter what our differences are, our students and parents need to be kept out of it.?
Hart said the protest came as a surprise after having spent the day in arbitration deciding whether or not school administration is in contract violation with their teachers.
Results of that arbitration are not expected before mid-July, Hart added.
‘They need to get this finalized, they don’t need this hanging over our head,? said Zirnhelt.
‘If the union would like to meet with us before the rulings are made, we’d be more than happy to do that,? said Hart.
‘I’m worried about the situation between the teachers and the administration,? said Zirnhelt. ‘I don’t feel that it’s right that my kids…need to hear about it.?
We have a great school’but people are hearing all this stuff and they’re not going to want to come here,? said Zirnhelt. ‘It’s really sad’it’s a sad situation for our schools.?