School officials frustrated by resignations

WASHINGTON — For the second time in three months, the Washington school board discussed a staff member’s early resignation at its regular meeting in November.

Both teachers left citing issues in their personal lives unrelated to the district, according to Superintendent Willie Stone.

“I am frustrated that they’re doing it, I don’t like that they’re doing it,” Stone said at the November meeting. “But I also understand that if it came down to my family or my job, my family comes first.”

The breach of contract has some repercussions, but fewer than some officials hoped for. Stone said teachers who resigned early without the board’s blessing would have their names reported to the Department of Education which could, at its discretion, choose to suspend a teacher’s certification.

“Legally, we are doing everything that we can,” he said at a special meeting Oct. 28. “I have talked with … our lawyer, and reporting him to the DOE is the most that we can do.”

Still, some officials said they wanted to see heavier consequences. School board Vice President Troy Suchan said early resignations set a bad example for students.

“We’re showing them that, ‘Hey, if you enter into a contract with somebody and you want to walk out of it, that’s fine,’” he said. “Then we have a generation of kids understanding that they can enter into any contract they want and there’s no repercussions … it’s a really bad, bad thing to have happen.”

Suchan said it felt unfair for the district.

“Something really stinks when they don’t have to uphold their contract, but we have to uphold ours to them,” he said. “That’s not the way it works.”

Other board members said they were interested in establishing greater legal repercussions for unexpected resignations, even if they wouldn’t apply to the recent cases. Doing so would require a change in statewide rules.

“If we have done all that we can do and we’re not satisfied, then what’s next?” Board President Eric Turner said. “Probably working through the legislature to change the law … it’s not something that’s going to happen fast, but if we really want to see the action, we’ve got to (advocate.)”

The board denied the release of contract, a move that does not prevent the teacher’s departure, but does require the district to report it to the DOE.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com