School board grapples with teacher non-renewals
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POLSON — People who came to comment on the non-renewal of two non-tenured certified teachers packed the district conference room at the April 13 Polson School Board meeting.
Caroline McDonald, vice chair of the school board, conducted the difficult meeting, since Chairman John Triolo has submitted his resignation.
According to Montana Code Annotated 20-4-206 (3), “trustees may non-renew the employment of a non-tenure teacher at the conclusion of the school fiscal year with or without cause.”
The two teachers were Heather Bleecker, who teaches Polson High School math, and Nicole Big Bow, who teaches kindergarten.
Doug Crosby, president of the Polson Education Association, read a statement that said the PEA recognized the rights of school administration to non-renew a non-tenured teacher without cause.
The statement said the PEA was discouraged to learn that five non-tenured teachers would not be returning, especially since two of the teachers held master’s degrees and one holds national board certification. These teachers had been employed in the district between two and three years and had never been placed on a plan of improvement. Under the established assessment system, “these teachers have been under the impression that they have performed satisfactory service to our district,”he said.
Superintendent Reksten corrected Crosby, saying there were only two non-tenured teachers not returning: one teacher at the high school and one at the elementary school.
Polson High School science teacher Jon Petersen didn’t agree with that. He said other teachers were told their contracts would be non-renewed and were given the option to resign so non-renewal wouldn’t appear on their record.
The final point made in the statement Crosby read was that the master agreement “outlines a very comprehensive procedure for progressive correction evaluation, under article 6.3,” but that the procedure is not being used.
John Matt, father of two children who attend school district 23 and husband of a teacher, had advice for the board.
“You can non-renew non-tenured teachers without cause. You still are required to follow due process,” he said.
Jon said there seems to be a spike in non-renewed non-tenured teachers.
Jon also reiterated the PEA’s contention that MCA section 6.3 calls for a progressive corrective plan to immediately get help for those teachers.
With so many teachers leaving the district, Cherry Valley teacher Bonnie Petersen said a national teacher shortage concerns her. Bonnie said, “We need to work with new teachers.”
The trustees voted to non-renew the high school teacher’s contract.
Then it was time to discuss the non-renewal of the elementary teacher.
Parent Lucinda Michel spoke, saying she was very concerned about Big Bow not being renewed. Her children attended Cherry Valley and are now at Linderman Elementary School.
“As a parent and as an Indian, I’m not happy with you guys,” Michel said. “Do I pull my children or do we stay? We don’t identify with our teachers and when we do have one we do identify with, you get rid of them.”
Also speaking on behalf of Big Bow, parent Michelle Buxton said her son was in Big Bow’s kindergarten class.
“I guess I’m really shocked. My son was a little pill; he acted poorly and hated learning. She has worked wonders; she was patient and consistent. Now he reads everything he can find and drives me crazy doing math,” Buxton said.
Another supporter of Big Bow was Dana Hewankorn, who introduced herself as the parent of nine children and grandparent to 15 grandchildren. She was disheartened to not see representation of native people.
“It’s hard to not take it personally,” Hewankorn said.
With 15 grandchildren coming up to school age, she said as a family they would have to have a discussion about school.
“Are they going to come here (Polson) where they aren’t represented?” Hewankorn asked.
Representation in the schools was also on Casey Sorrell’s mind. She said a survey of kids in Indian Club brought up the issue that the students said nobody looked like them or listened to them. She was concerned that Native American teachers will feel comfortable enough to apply for teaching jobs.
“We are losing our Native American kids. Our graduation rates are low,” Sorrell said.
Noting that approximately 40 percent of the kids at Cherry Valley are Native American, Bill Swaney, department head of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Education Department, said there are two Native American teachers at Cherry Valley — and now one of them might be gone.
“We all do better if our classrooms reflect the diversity of our community,” Swaney said. “Our office exists to improve the education system on the reservation. If this was a marginal teacher, I wouldn’t have agreed to be here.”
Parent Merle Big Bow was an ally for Nicole. He said she had chosen not to apply for a teaching position right away; instead she had taken a paraprofessional job to gain experience first.
The comments in favor of Big Bow drew questions from trustees.
“We as trustees don’t really know why someone is not being renewed,” Trustee Chanel Lake said.
“We only know a very limited amount,” Trustee Alan Anderson said.
Superintendent Reksten said the recommendation is without cause. The procedures have been followed for non-tenured teachers as far as evaluations required by contract, she added, with a lot behind the scenes by administrators and teachers involved.
“I’d say you’ve heard a portion of the story,” Reksten said.
When the board decided to table the issue, go into executive session and discuss it, Reksten told the trustees that the board could not debate the issue or ask for circumstances because that would make it an issue of cause.
The recommendation passed on a vote of 4-3, with Trustees Cindy Lanier, Michael Leadercharge and Anderson voting no.
