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Questions left dangling as board OKs hiring teacher PEQUOT LAKES SCHOOL BOARD Staff Writer PEQUOT LAKES -- The Pequot Lakes School Board decided not to rehire its former high school special education teacher Thursday. Instead, the board, on a 4-1 split vote, hired a candidate they voted on a 4-3 split vote not to hire last week.
With David Kennedy opposed, board members authorized the hiring of Maria Dissell as a high school special education teacher at a salary of $37,170, plus benefits. Board member Brad Wallace was absent from the special board meeting.
Last week board members were split on whether to hire Dissell, who was recommended for the position by school administrators. Steve Nelson, who previously held that position for 2-1/2 years before his non-tenured position was eliminated because of budget cutbacks, had to reapply for the position when the board decided to bring back the position this summer.
While Nelson didn't have a special education licensure when he was hired on a full-time basis two years ago, he had been allowed to teach under a variance granted by the district because he had been going to night school to obtain his special education licensure. He and two other candidates were interviewed Aug. 12 and Nelson said he was told by high school principal John McDonald and a member of the hiring committee that he would be recommended to the board for rehire. He graduated June 30 with his specialized degree and was waiting for his licensure to no longer be pending but approved by the state.
On Aug. 16, the same day his licensure was approved by the state, Nelson received a call from the district saying he would not be recommended for the position. He had missed the deadline the district set for him to obtain his licensure.
Board members last week questioned whether the best candidate had been recommended for the position and whether McDonald was forced to change his recommendation. McDonald continued to say he stood behind his position on Aug. 16. According to the state Department of Education Web site, Nelson now is licensed as a full-time K-12 special education teacher through 2010. The state lists Dissell as having an elementary education licensure and coaching license for grades 7-12 that expires next year but an application was pending as of Aug. 23.
The board last week asked district administrators to come back to the board with another recommendation. On Thursday, that recommendation was once again to hire Dissell.
Superintendent Percy Lingen said the administrative team, which included Lingen, McDonald, elementary principal Don Lenzen and middle level principal Randy Hansen, met for two hours last Friday to discuss the situation. Board chair Mike Clausen was included in that discussion, said Lingen. They decided at this meeting to recommend Dissell for the position again.
"I have a lot of questions about this," said Kennedy, who said it was unusual for administration's recommendation to be rejected by the board, then to have them return to the board with the same recommendation the following week.
Kennedy asked how the administrative team could come to a recommendation when only McDonald interviewed the three candidates. He asked administrators if they sought input from the hiring committee and they said they did not. He also asked if it was a unanimous vote to hire Dissell and the three principals remained silent.
"Well, we didn't take a vote," said Lingen.
Kennedy continued to ask the three principals if it was a team decision, but McDonald, Lenzen and Hansen did not comment.
"I need it clearly spelled out to me why not hire Steve or it shown clearly why the other candidate is more qualified," said Kennedy. "The fact (Nelson) served in that position in my mind gives him very good qualifications."
Kennedy asked board member Kim Bolz-Andolshek if she felt she had received straight answers to her questions about the situation.
"It's as straight an answer as I'm going to get," said Bolz-Andolshek. "You can only ask so many questions. If there's no other reason to vote differently, I'm going to have to support the recommendation."
"I think we have to trust our administration," said board member Larry Schultz. "I think it's time to put this thing to rest and move on."
A high school special education student wrote the board a letter asking board members to rehire his teacher. The student said he had been attacked and harassed repeatedly at school and once had been hospitalized after a particularly vicious attack at school before Nelson was hired. The next year the school placed the student who attacked him not only in the same classroom, but at the same table.
"I was so scared that something would happen again if the teachers left the room that I had to leave for the rest of the day and had my mom and dad come pick me up," the student wrote.
Since Nelson was hired, the student said he felt safe again and Nelson had stopped other students from harassing him. The student sent Clausen a personal check for $5 of his own money to help the school pay Nelson's salary so he could remain his teacher, in case a shortage of funds was the problem.
"If more money is needed, please let me know," the student wrote to Clausen.
Nelson, reached by phone Thursday, said he was disappointed the board chose to hire another teacher, but said he wasn't surprised.
"It's over," said Nelson. "That's the way it goes."
JODIE TWEED can be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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