By: Elena CaputoRecent changes to the Wilson High School faculty have left many—students, teachers and community members alike—concerned about the future of the school district. Over the course of a few months, three teachers have left the district for various reasons; all of these teachers were long-time employees of the district and popular in the classroom, but the most talked-about suspension was that of Mr. Doug Myer.
Myer, an AP Calculus teacher, was suspended on Feb 15 and was out of the classroom for more than three weeks before the suspension was lifted. The district can offer limited explanations due to privacy rights. “Every employee that works in the district is afforded certain due process rights, as well as protections from federal and state law regarding personnel matters,” Dr. Richard Faidley, the superintendent of Wilson, explained in an interview. “That employee has rights, and we want to make sure that we treat our employees with respect, we treat them as professionals and we don’t violate their rights.” Though this is a well-intentioned policy mandated by state and federal governments, it still didn't assuage the concerns of parents and students, especially those in Myer’s classes. When students and parents were informed of Myer’s suspension, it was after a week of classes with a substitute teacher; most class periods were study halls. Only on Feb 27 (12 days after Myer was taken out of the classroom), that temporary teachers were placed as coverage for his classes. In response to the situation, Ashley Feiler, an AP Calculus AB student, said in a speech to the school board on Mar 4., "These teachers have made it clear themselves they are not qualified to teach such a high-level course." She continued, "For example, we have an AP statistics teacher who made it clear he does not have the necessary experience in calculus." When asked to comment, Christopher Trickett, the Wilson High School principal, responded by saying, “Not having taught a certain curriculum is a challenge for anyone and regardless of the course, I know that that was a challenge.” Still, teachers without the experience necessary were not enough to appease students and parents. On Monday, Mar 4, students and parents assembled at the biweekly board meeting to protest the suspension of Myer. "Why are we fruitlessly searching for a qualified teacher and coach when there is one sitting at home willing to take that position?" Bryn Underwood, another AP Calculus student and track runner for Myer, addressed the school board at the meeting. "Please try and make the best decision for your students and let Mr. Myer come back for the year," she continued. Other students, parents and even former board members addressed the school board as well, overwhelmingly requesting that Myer be reinstated to his position. The school district took heed to these requests because on Monday, March 11, Myer was returned to his classroom. This is temporary, as he is teaching for the remainder of the year. Myer will be resigning at the end of the year, a decision accepted by the board 8-1. Regardless of what ultimately happens with AP Calculus, Wilson can take pride in the maturity of its students. “The amount of students that came in to talk to me personally—stopped in, sent an email or talked to their parents who then reached out to me in a very appropriate way—gave me a lot of perspective on the collective power of our students,” Trickett said, continuing to praise the students in saying, “I am super proud of the way that the students in these classes advocated for their needs.”
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