Dist. 54 Board OKs 10 staff departures

Shaw: None due to ‘job dissatisfaction’

The Morris Elementary School District 54 Board of Education Monday night approved the resignation of 10 people from the district: one driver, two full-time program aides, three part-time program aides, a health aide and three teachers — two of whom were first-year teachers.

Also approved was one intent to retire in 2013-2014, thirteen new hires, and two rehires of individuals who were part-time program aides last school year, but resigned to be rehired as full-time program aides. 

“Our exit data indicated that not one resignation was due to job dissatisfaction,” District Superintendent Teri Shaw told the Board of Education and everyone present from the public Monday evening.

She said there was a natural attrition of employees that took place, but not one resignation or retirement was due to job dissatisfaction.

“There are letters attached to the back of the board packs,” Shaw said. “When you look through the letters, you can see they all thank the district and Board of Education for the opportunities they’ve had.”

She said some teachers had been offered positions closer to their homes, others who had worked at Dist. 54 as program aides were offered certified teaching positions.

“There are a lot of reasons teachers move on,” she said.

The topic was discussed during last month’s executive session, Shaw said. She was following-up Monday on a discussion she and the board had previously.

The comments also came after a letter to the editor was submitted to the Morris Daily Herald, published Aug. 15.

“The District is certainly in disorder,” Morris resident Bonnie Cap wrote in her letter. “District 54 has developed a revolving door and I think the community needs to start asking why?”

The letter pointed out that, since February, Dist. 54 has had 14 resignations approved at board meetings.

“The new, the extremely experienced, and the tenured are leaving, and it appears to be hurriedly,” Cap wrote.

Following the board meeting Monday night, Shaw said the one tenured teacher whose resignation was approved wrote a letter about being hired as a high school teacher – a career aspiration of his.

“The past five years at Shabbona have been a wonderful experience for me,” Joseph Niezgoda wrote to Shaw and the Board of Education. “I have had the opportunity to work with excellent teachers and administrators – all of whom have helped me grow as an educator.

“Thank you for the support you have provided me during my tenure at Shabbona Middle School. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work for you and Morris Elementary District 54.”

There was no public comment Monday evening.

“It’s just too bad people from the outside looking in read our website and make wrong conclusions,” said Board President Carol Narvick.