Listmates;

I wrote an e-mail to the trustees' address, and just got back the following reply from one of them.  As usual, there is much more going on here than just the story that the media put out.

Suzanne Fischer 
Curator of Material Culture 
Louisiana State Museum 
P.O. Box 2448 
New Orleans, LA  70176 
[log in to unmask] < mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
 
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Thank you for your e-mail. I'm sure you understand that you cannot believe everything you read and hear in the media. A school district is at an extreme disadvantage in the area of personnel matters due to issues of employee privacy and ethical considerations.

However, since an employee of the district has chosen to express her concerns publicly in a hearing and in the media since that time, it seems fair that a school district can at least point to facts that were stated in that public hearing. Much has been misrepresented.

First, this is not about a field trip to an art museum. The timing of circumstances has allowed the teacher to wave that banner and it has played well in the media. FISD is a strong supporter of the arts and the Dallas Museum of Arts - our art program is rich and award-winning.

     At issue here are performance concerns and the ability to supervise an employee. As early as May 2005 the principal verbally brought to the attention of the teacher that there were some performance concerns. She suggested at that time that a field trip experience might be a way to strengthen the art program. It was not mandated and is truly not the issue. 
     During the late spring of the next school year, 2005-2006, when the teacher began planning the field trip, the principal suggested that the field trip be delayed until the next school year because she was concerned that the planning process was not sufficient. 
     Then when the teacher received her evaluation conference, which was in mid May and after the field trip, some issues of concern were discussed and the teacher stated that she didn't think it was fair to evaluate her on expectations that had not been clearly communicated to her in writing. Principals try to work through informal methods first to address performance concerns (verbal instructions, etc.) before documenting expectations. The principal did then document the performance areas that needed to be addressed - at the teacher's request - but the documentation was not brought on by the field trip; the field trip was not a catalyst for anything or the final straw to get her in "hot water." She was never told there would not be a next year for her or that she was not "Frisco material" as has been reported. 
     After the memo was provided as requested, she did file a grievance and also asked to be transferred if there was an opening in the district. The transfer was denied because the central administration felt that if you allow a teacher to transfer after a supervisor has given them guidelines for improvement then you have weakened a supervisor's ability to address performance issues by essentially giving the teacher an "escape hatch" to avoid meeting the expectations of the supervisor. 
    What is getting lost here is that this is not about a field trip, censorship, or a parent complaint. It is not about age, tenure or salary level as has also been suggested in the media. This is about a school administrator working to help an employee improve her job performance and to improve the educational experience of students. Even someone who has taught for a long time can still have opportunity for professional development. 

As an aside, the Star Award that is being mentioned in the context of the teacher being an award-winning teacher or Star Award Teacher of the Year 2004 is a recognition that took place periodically in the local paper because a local business wanted to sponsor the monthly ad to show support for teachers in the community - someone from each campus was usually represented. There was no set way employees were chosen at each campus for this ad. Some campuses went by tenure for inclusion, others were selected based on something that had occurred that month. Teachers were recognized, as were volunteers, custodians, receptionists, and others. 

At this time, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave with pay. The Administration and the Board felt that this was the best action for the teacher, the students and the school. A recommendation for the non-renewal of her contract will be forthcoming from the superintendent. 
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