The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Members of the Wahkiakum School District board of directors had their work cut out for them Tuesday evening.

They had to deal with a variety of staffing issues ranging from complaints against a teacher to confirming the hiring of a new high school principal, and they and parents had in-depth discussions of other issues, including the district's Alternative Learning Education program.

The board had at least three items for executive session--negotiation of administrators' contracts and two hearings of complaints against personnel.

Lisa and Sam Ridout raised one of the complaints in the regular session. They informed the board that a high school teacher had struck one of their children, and they were dissatisfied with the district's response.

They had discussed the complaint with the board in executive session in May, but they said the administration's response had been inadequate, and that the teacher had humiliated the child in class.

"The teacher was given a verbal warning; he had already been warned in writing," said Lisa Ridout, who teaches elementary education for the district. "As a teacher, I know you never, never strike or retaliate against a student."

A couple other parents said their children had had similar problems in the past, but they hadn't pursued them with the district because they felt intimidated by administrators.

The process for complaints, said Superintendent Bob Garrett, is, first, to discuss the situation with the teacher. If the're unhappy with the response, they are to next go to the principal; then the superintendent, and finally the board.

Board members said they were committed to having safe schools and that they would continue to review the situation in their executive session proceedings.

"We recognize that there needs to be clear expectations on how teachers, coaches and staff interact with kids," said Director Tony Boyce.

Garrett said he had conferred with the district's attorney who, Garrett said, felt that a letter of reprimand to the teacher was more severe punishment than the situation merited.

If parents feel an assault has occurred, he said, there is nothing to stop them from reporting it to the sheriff's department.

In other business, administrators said they were unhappy with the district's Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) online educational program.

Garrett said the district had started the program a couple of years ago as districts raced to set up online programs that could increase their enrollment. A local student, he said, may enroll in a program offered by another school district, and that district will receive the district's state apportionment funding for the student.

Wahkiakum High School Principal Dan Casler said high schools are concerned that students are opting out of regular classroom classes just to avoid an unpopular teacher or a difficult class. Over 100 students took ALE classes this past school year, he said, and that left some classrooms with very low numbers of students.

"Our program has morphed into a program that was never intended to happen," Garrett said. "We have tried to accommodate parents and students to the point that we now have a program that is not in the best interest of kids, in my opinion."

Staff want the program modified to focus on keeping students in district, with participation focused on subjects the district is unable to offer or to address unavoidable scheduling conflicts, Casler said. Staff plan to propose an improved program by late summer.

The board agreed to hire elementary school teacher Stephanie Leitz as the new WHS principal; Casler has taken a principal's job at Montesano and will leave the district at the end of the month.

Cathlamet resident Susi Mackey said she felt the board should have hired high school math teach John Hannah, who was also an applicant, because, she said, he has more experience with high school age students.

Directors responded that their hiring committee had interviewed five applicants, asking all the same questions, and putting all through the same process. The committee unanimously recommended Leitz for the position., and Hannah has been hired as a principal in the Mt. Adams School District near Yakima.

"I feel the panel went through all candidates very thoroughly," said Director Tina Schubert. "There was lots of thoughtful discussion. It was a very difficult decision. I'm very sad we're losing John Hannah."

After the executive session, the board voted to approve contracts for Superintendent Garrett, $78,354; high school Principal Leitz $73,928, and elementary/middle school Principal Theresa Libby 83,713.

The directors authorized staff to implement a proposal to start school one hour late one day a week to allow staff to confer and collaborate in their instruction for classes and individual students.

Staff said the collaborative program has succeded in other districts and allows staff to tailor lessons and activities to support each other from class to class.

The late start will affect families, they said, and they held a meeting earlier this month to go over the program with parents.