Slattery released from contract to take job at Piper
Marion Elementary School Principal Terry Slattery was released from her contract Thursday at a special meeting of Marion-Florence Unified School District board of education.
The release is contingent on formal action taken by the Piper board of education. Slattery has been offered a job as principal of the elementary school for kindergarten through second grade. The district has two elementary schools, a middle school, and high school.
Piper is located in Kansas City. The move puts Slattery and her husband, Mike, closer to much of their family.
"That's the only reason we would do this," Slattery said. "It's hard being three hours from family."
She is completing her seventh year at Marion Elementary School.
Since Slattery has a contract for 2002-03 already, she can return as principal if the Piper board of education declines to employ her. District officials say they don't expect that to happen.
The vote to release her was unanimous.
Superintendent Gerald Henderson said the district was advertising the position in trade publications and websites, and had an online application on the district website for candidates to complete.
Residency issue
Teachers Hayley Abbott and Susan Best were offered contracts at the elementary school to teach fifth grade.
Abbott received an education degree from Tabor in December and a degree in business and communications in 1999. She has worked in the school this year as a substitute.
Best lives at Tabor College; housing is provided as part of her husband's job. She graduated in 2001 from Northwestern College, St. Paul, Minn. She has worked with early childhood and with the mentally and physically disabled. She has worked at MES as a substitute.
The vote was Rex Savage, Keith Collett, Gene Bowers, and Susan Robson in favor, Roger Hannaford III and Bruce Skiles opposed.
The issue was residency. Due to family responsibilities, neither teacher will guarantee they will live in the district.
On the first vote, Collett didn't vote in favor. A 3-3 tie means the motion fails. Collett then changed his vote.
Board policy doesn't require teachers to live in the district. Supporters say it would help employees become stronger members of the community, more likely to stay longer, and show their own investment in the district.
Administrators say such a requirement limits the potential labor pool too much.
"We want them to live in the district, and we strongly encourage that, but we want the best teacher," Henderson said. "Ginger Becker never lived in this district, but I hate to think we would have missed out on having her in our school."
This year, out of about 62 certified teachers, three at the high school and middle school, and eleven at the elementary, live outside the district. Of those, four have resigned this year.
In other reports:
Board members approved the resignations of elementary teachers Pam Speaks and Ginger Becker, and bus driver Joy Vannocker.
One position, for a fourth grade teacher, remains open in the district.
Randy Savage was hired as high school girls' assistant basketball coach. Vote was five in favor, none against. Rex Savage left the room for the discussion and vote.
The board entered an executive session to discuss negotiations. No action was taken upon return to open session.
