Online Plus Edition Friday, August 20, 2004
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WHY THEY'RE LEAVING
By Anna Scott Staff writer
Here is a sampling of Salem High School teachers who won't be returning this fall. EMILY ROOKS: pink-slipped Position: Social studies teacher Age: 25 Years at Salem High: Three New job: History teacher at Wellesley High School Education: Master's degree in education from Salem State Why she says she was fired: "I was friends with people against (Principal Ann Papagiotas). I was someone who would speak my mind. To me, it was clear retaliation on her part." ANDY MOORE: pink-slipped Position: English teacher Age: 32 Years at Salem High: Three Education: Master's degree in English Professional experience: Built Web sites for an advertising company Why he says he was fired: He set up a Web site, www.salemhigh.net, which teachers and students use to criticize administrators. Moore started the site to allow teachers to communicate about union issues, after administrators banned him from using the faculty mailboxes for that purpose. "(Superintendent Herbert Levine) asked me to take (the Web site) down. He hinted to me that action had been taken against a teacher in a different city for the same thing." JANET BURT: pink-slipped Position: Library media specialist Age: 57 Years at Salem High: Three Years teaching: 34 Why she says she was fired: She had a disagreement with Principal Papagiotas about how a student who didn't return books was treated in the library. Then Burt received an improperly conducted evaluation, which was handwritten in pencil, from Papagiotas. "I grieved the evaluation. I took it to the superintendent and won that grievance. After that, (Papagiotas) was positively horrible to me about everything, because she lost and she lost face and everyone was talking about it." JOHN CAMMARATA: pink-slipped Position: Chemistry teacher Age: 36 Years at Salem High: Four (only three as a licensed teacher) Education: Master's degree in molecular biology and genetics, doctorate in law Professional experience: Practicing attorney since 1999; substitute teacher at Pentucket Regional High School, adjunct professor at Merrimack College New job: Teacher at Chelsea High School Why he says he was fired: He lobbied against a union contract and asked administrators to give teachers more say in the planned restructuring at the high school. "Within one year I ended up on the (expletive) list. Why? Because I asked a couple of questions." ERIK ARNOLD: resigned after being transferred to the Middle School Position: Social studies teacher, assistant football coach, boys' tennis coach Years at Salem High: Seven Education: Bachelor's degree in high school history education, master's degree in special education New job: Teacher at Littleton High School Why he says he was transferred: "The transfer to Collins is a very transparent punishment for my letter to the editor to The Salem News that was critical of (Superintendent Herbert Levine), and also to the appearance I made to the School Committee." Arnold passed out flyers at a June School Committee meeting outlining teacher difficulties with administrators. DON VALENTINE: resigned Position: Social studies teacher Age: 32 Years at Salem High: Five Education: Bachelor's degrees in history and political science, master's degree in education New job: Teacher at Bedford High School Why he says he resigned: "I didn't like the philosophy of the administration, getting rid of people for all the wrong reasons. Not everyone has to agree. You're going to fire people because they don't agree with you, because they're outspoken?" PATRICK SCHULTZ: voluntary leave of absence Position: Social studies teacher Years at Salem High: Four Age: 42 Education: Bachelor's degree in anthropology, master's degrees in American studies and education Professional experience: Community organizer and lobbyist for a nonprofit environmental protection group Why he took a leave: To spend time with his children, but also "to re-evaluate going back to Salem High School. Its present condition is dysfunctional." He clashed with administrators on many of the same points as other teachers. "If I had no tenure, I would have been fired also, make no mistake about it." GEORGE CLEMENT: resigned Position: History and psychology teacher Years at Salem High: Three Experience teaching: 14 years Education: Bachelor's degree in education, master's in special education New job: Special education teacher at Chelsea High School Why he resigned: After clashing with the administration over the union contract and school restructuring, he expected to be fired. "I saw the writing on the wall. ... Our strategy was, if this is how it's going to be, we'll keep swinging until there's nothing left to throw. I thought we were going to win this. Then I realized it wasn't going to happen."
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