Trust Issues Remain Between Parents, SPS Committee [Video]

Full disclosure. Transparency. And an answer to the biggest question — why?

The level of trust Sudbury parents, specifically those from , have toward the Sudbury Public Schools Committee diminished greatly over the last few months since the dismissal of longtime teacher Janice Donahue.

The exact reason why Donahue lost her job is something parents have demanded, yet members of Sudbury Public Schools Committee and Superintendent Dr. Anne Wilson have consistently said it is against policy to discuss matters related to faculty. And it has been that refusal that has kept parents demanding answers.

During Tuesday night's SPS Committee meeting, about two months since news of Donahue's dismissal broke, the topic remained a sensitive issue.

"I would like to know if Dr. Wilson ever stepped into her classroom and saw how much those children loved her," Noyes parent Joanne Topham said. "Shame on you for letting her go. If the former superintendent (Dr. John Brackett) were still here, Mrs. Donahue would still be here."

"I think your time is up ... thank you very much," Committee Chair Rich Robison said, after repeated warnings to Topham about directing comments toward Wilson and other Committee members.

"It will come back up when voters come back," Topham answered back before taking her seat.

Donahue quietly took a seat in the back row prior to the start of the meeting, but never stepped up to speak during the open forum.

Instead, other parents from her classroom stepped forward to discuss a meeting Wilson had with them regarding what they deemed was a lack of communication over the situation.

"This is important," parent Brenda Shepherd said. "My daughter is in third grade now, and she had a terrible kindergarten. And Mrs. J got her, and turned her right around. And to this day, she glows every time she hears Mrs. J's name. You have no idea the power she has with those kids. They love her, and love to learn because of her."

Wilson thanked those parents who met with her, Principal Annette Doyle, Committee member Ellen Joachim and Robert Mealey of the Sudbury Education Association, on July 9, and stressed any decision is based students' needs.

"What we were talking about is communication and procedures," Wilson said. "Our tagline in Sudbury is 'Improving on Excellence' and acknowledging we can always learn from every situation we are involved in. We're committed to continuing to evaluate our procedures and our processes at a time when a teacher may unexpectedly be absent from our classroom.

"We're always going to focus on what's best for students. We always have, we always will, that is our top priority."

But parent Christine Hogan said parents want to know what steps will be taken in the future should a teacher unexpectedly be absent from class, specifically in regards to lesson plans and interviewing children over a possible altercation with teachers.

"If there is a mandated reported who is going to be filing a (51B) and that mandated reporter believes that that action is a criminal offense, because if it is screened in by DCF it goes to the District Attorney," Hogan said.

Robison then reminded Hogan to not talk about specific situations.

"I am worried about what will happen when my former first-graders are going into second grade," Hogan said. "and if there are actions by a teacher, by an administrator, are they going to be pulled in and questioned about something that an administrator feels is a criminal act without letting me know first? That has not been addressed."

In other news from the meeting, Curtis Middle School teacher Mary Mahoney voiced concern over the new education evaluation plan Wilson discussed.

Specifically, Mahoney worried a teacher who obeyed a principal's order would be rated higher than a teacher with more creativity.

"I worry we will lose the creativity that has made us 1) a great school system in Sudbury but 2) a better system in the United States than elsewhere," Mahoney said.

Wilson assured her creativity would not be a secondary focus for SPS.

"That is a strength of our district," Wilson said. "the creativity, the work the teachers do with the children. We're not going to lose our strength."

Building Inspector Jim Kelly has accepted an offer to be the director of facilities for the town and school district, Wilson announced.

"This is wonderful news for us," she said.

With the acceptance, Kelly will no longer be the building inspector. Wilson said Town Manager Maureen Valente has begun the process to find a replacement.