At the Montezuma-Cortez school board’s summer meeting on Tuesday, the board heard from citizens concerned about the nonrenewal of a teacher, discussed clear bags and were informed of a board member’s resignation.
Superintendent Tom Burris shared that there will be a “So You Want to be a School Board Member” meeting Monday, Aug. 18, at 6 p.m. in the board room for those who are interested in joining the board. Burris said that Anne Keke, board president of the Aurora public schools and CASB board member, will facilitate the meeting.
Later, many parents, staff and members of the community voiced their thoughts and concerns regarding a Kemper Elementary teacher whose contract was not renewed for the upcoming school year.
Letters from teachers and staff were read by volunteers, as the letters cited fear of potential retaliation if they spoke to the board in person.
Two women named Valerie and Susan spoke of Nancy Shaw, the teacher, saying that she had made a “lasting and meaningful impact on countless students.” Tess, who is a MCHS graduate and has two daughters in the district, said she is “very concerned” with the “exodus” of teachers in the district, which she partly credited to a lack of confidence in the district administration and lack of support for teachers.
Tess said the district needed to do better by teachers by “recruiting these excellent educators our children desperately need,” adding that Shaw had done amazing things with her own daughters while they were in her classroom.
Tori also spoke of Nancy’s impact via a letter she read on behalf of another.
“Let us not allow policy to override common sense and compassion, and let us not lose a remarkable educator because of technicalities that do not reflect her worth,” the letter said.
Nikki Crowley also read a letter for a staff member. The letter said that staff have been moved and reassigned to different locations across the district for speaking out, without warning.
Crowley added her own thoughts at the end of the letter, saying that MCHS has lost 167 years’ worth of experience with teachers who have left. Crowley also questioned the nonrenewal, asking if teachers at high steps on the salary schedule were being let go to save money.
MB McAfee read a letter, which she read in part as it echoed what was said by others. She added that it was upsetting that “teachers can’t come to you and talk to you themselves.”
Paul and Laura DeWitt took turns speaking, with Paul saying he was alarmed about the “growing sense of retaliation in the district.” He also noted that Shaw had 40 years of teaching experience, over 30 of which are in the district.
Laura shared that Shaw was her daughter’s third-grade teacher this past school year, and she brought out the best in her students.
Sherry Wright, former board member and current member of the state school board, said that Shaw had taught her granddaughters, but acknowledged that she didn’t know what was going on behind the scenes in regard to the nonrenewal.
Wright also informed the board that she and another member of the state board had written a letter to the state about keeping boys out of girl sports.
In discussion items, one board member said he wanted to know why the contract was not renewed, to which Burris said, “You’d have to read the Statutes on Return to Work Employees. That’s where it lies.”
Board President Sheri Noyes reminded those in attendance that there are things going on behind the scenes, personnel things, that the board isn’t at liberty to discuss.
“A lot of this stuff that came up at this podium, a lot of it are some things that I haven’t heard,” Noyes said. “You’ve created a problem that really isn’t a problem. It’s things we’re working on you may not be privy to because of certain protections. I’m not saying all of it, but some of it is. That gets frustrating when we’re not able to come right out and tell you.”
She asked that the community give the board some understanding.
“And not that we don’t want to sit here and tell you exactly what we’re doing, it’s that we can’t sometimes,” Noyes said. “And we would appreciate a little bit of grace on some of that.”
Board member Mike Lynch brought up the nondiscrimination policy, saying that this policy does not affect the district’s policy ADD for Safe Schools, in response to comments about the district removing the word “safe” from the policy.
He also looked at the clear bag policy, revisiting concerns about privacy for students. He asked if female hygiene products are in nursing stations and bathrooms, and asked if female students could use makeup bags or other small pencil bags to conceal their feminine hygiene products, if a clear bag policy was implemented.
He noted that the biggest benefit of the clear bags would be for students to make it through metal detectors faster.
After action items, the board said goodbye to Jim Parr, executive director of Student Academic Services and heard from Rhonda Tracy, who said she was resigning from the board, effective immediately.
