FROM THE BACKROOM TO THE FRONT ROOM: There Are Going To Be Two Public Teacher Hearings In Rye Board Of Education Member Karen Belanger indicates there is also a future 3020(a) Hearing for Rye Teacher Carin Mehler in a public session, After more than one year where discussions pertaining to reassigned teachers were cloaked under the cover of “Executive Sessions,” Board Member and Candidate Karen Belanger publically represents future 3020(a) hearings for Rye teacher Carin Mehler. A direct quote from Belanger reads ”a great deal of information will be shown to the appropriate parties under the 3020(a) hearing process that Ms. Coppola, presumably, will be shortly going through AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO ORGANIZE THE SAME THING FOR MS. MEHLER.” DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP While parents greeted the news of Osborn Elementary School teacher Gail Topol’s return after a 9-month administrative leave with enthusiasm, some believe she received preferential treatment because of her ties to the school board president. Topol is one of four teachers — two each from Osborn and Milton — placed on administrative leave for “improper coaching” during the state assessment tests in April. Trustee Ed Fox asked board President Laura Slack to recuse herself from negotiations with Topol, just minutes before the board voted to approve the settlement. Slack’s husband, Richard, was recently appointed to the Rye City Council by new Mayor Joseph Sack, whose wife represented Topol. Fox demanded an independent investigation. “The public will be left to wonder if this was a sweetheart deal or whether the employee was unfairly held hostage, at significant expense to the district, until a particular benefit was provided,” said Fox. “Moreover, other similarly situated employees will wonder if they are being treated fairly because they have different lawyers who cannot deliver a City Council seat or some other benefit to board members or board members’ family members.” The message to the public is, it matters who your lawyer is in the City of Rye. Mr. Fox said the board has a policy against the “appearance of impropriety” for a reason. The Rye Board of Education and its law firm mishandled this matter from the outset and many Rye residents have been shocked at how Rye Education Board member Fox was attacked attacked by other board members for simply pointing out a potential conflict of interest. Topol, who has taught in the district for 25 years, will paid a fine of $2,500 and convert 27 days of her administrative reassignment to a paid suspension, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request. Her 2012-13 salary was listed at $126,409. The paid suspension Was deemed “to have already been served” as Topol was placed on administrative leave in May, along with the other teachers. Ms. Gold, a fourth-grade teacher at Milton School, entered into a settlement Jan. 17, and resigned Jan. 31. The other two teachers, Carin Mehler, a fourth-grade teacher at Osborn, and Dana Coppola, a third-grade teacher at Milton, remain on leave. These backroom and under the table situations make Rye look like a banana republic. rye.dailyvoice/schools/suspended-rye-teacher-return-classroom
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 12:33:16 +0000