OR principal resigned citing bullying and anonymous comments from blog
By RONI REINO
rreino@fosters.com
Saturday, June 25, 2011
DURHAM — An online blog was the main reason Oyster River High School Principal Laura Rogers resigned, according to her resignation letter.
In the letter dated Jan. 11, Rogers recounts how the Internet blog, Oyster River Community Resource, had supported "anonymous, vitriolic comments" directed at central office administrators and building principals.
"I thought it was extremely hurtful," she said on Friday.
Anonymous comments on the blog range from comments saying property taxes in the area are "outrageous" to hoping the board will "seek a leader that has the ability to communicate and collaborate" when Superintendent Howard Colter retires.
An anonymous Dec. 17 posting states, "Perhaps we will get lucky and (Director of Instruction) Meredith Nadeau will leave with (Howard) Colter."
Shortly after Rogers' resignation, it was announced Nadeau would be leaving the district to become a superintendent in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Rogers said School Board members have commented on the blog in the past, and although they may have not endorsed such a "bullying" type behavior, they participated in posting content.
"It's like if I looked the other way if students were doing something wrong," she said. "I can't say I respect the choice."
An Oct. 28 post by board member Jim Kach said he is "saddened by the tone and depth of these comments." He said he would prefer to read suggestions by the community, than "incessant sniping and trading of insults."
In her resignation letter, Rogers said those who participate in the blog are "tacitly supporting those who have made this district a place that champions an 'us against them' mentality and where rumors are circulated as if they are a reality."
Comments on the blog are still posted below posts, many of them anonymous and many of them indicating community members are unhappy with decisions by district officials.
"It felt like there was an assumption by some people that educators in the district don't know what they are doing," she said.
Rogers also in the last two to three years while working with the Oyster River Cooperative School District, she has "felt that the majority of the Board has had little understanding or respect for what is taking place at the high school and the work that I do here."
Rogers has taken a job in Goffstown as an interim guidance director at the high school.
"It should be a new opportunity to do something different," she said. "It will be a chance for me to help them out and a new opportunity for me."
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110625/GJNEWS_01/706259939
OR principal's letter of resignation
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Related Articles and Media
Article: OR principal resigned citing bullying and anonymous comments from blog
& the accompanying article....
The following is a letter of resignation dated Jan., 11, 2011 from Laura Rogers, Oyster River High School principal.
Dear Superintendent Colter,
It is with mixed feelings that I tender this letter of resignation, effective at the end of my contract, June 30,2011. I have the deepest affection for the faculty and staff of Oyster River High School and love spending each day with our students. Being part of the district's Leadership Team has been a privilege and an opportunity for my personal and professional growth. However, the current political climate and the tension that exists in the relationship between the administration and many members of the School Board have led me to this decision. Unfortunately, there have been too many occasions in the last two or three years where I have felt that the majority of the Board has had little understanding or respect for what is taking place at the high school and the work that I do here.
There are past and present board members who regularly post to an internet blog that supports anonymous, vitriolic comments that often malign not only central office administrators and building principals (who enter their jobs knowing that some level of negativity comes along with them), but secretaries, guidance counselors and individual teachers. By choosing to participate in this type of activity, they are tacitly supporting those who have made this district a place that champions an "us against them" mentality and where rumors are circulated as if they are a reality. Frankly, this is exactly the type of behavior that the bullying/cyber-bullying policy they just passed is supposed to eliminate when it happens between students. While I understand that their own postings may be benign, they are sending a message to the community that they approve of the blog in its entirety. This blog has caused some of my faculty and staff members a lot of pain and anxiety and I can find no value in it.
In spite of the challenges, I have certainly enjoyed the time I have spent at Oyster River. The people with whom I work have been wonderful and we have had the opportunity to develop new programs and to refine those that were already in place. Extended learning opportunities, internships, advisory and new classes have grown to become an integral part of what makes up the high school and I am proud to have been part of their evolution. Thank you very much for the opportunities and the mentoring you have offered me during my tenure here.
Sincerely,
Laura Rogers
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110625/GJNEWS_01/706259961
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Board Acted Within Its Purview
To the editor: Well before the March 2011 School Board election, Oyster River School District Superintendent Howard Colter's reasons for leaving had accrued and he told the then School Board that he would not seek another contract after his expired in June of 2012. Some of the members of the board Mr. Colter notified were those who had hired him and it was well known by all that Mr. Colter was leaving in a year and the new board would select a new superintendent.
But even though it was well known that it was Mr. Colter's wish to leave, when it was announced that the Board and Mr. Colter had been negotiating for about a month over a buy-out which was reported as "mutually agreeable," speaker after speaker damned the board for acting behind their backs and hiding behind the right to know statute. Viewers left their gardening and sports programs to rush to the Wednesday evening meeting to tell the Board it was "crazy, stupid and irresponsible" to lose Mr. Colter early.
Even though both sides were bound by the confidentiality terms of the negotiated buyout, only the board, and not Mr. Colter, was flagellated for its silence while Mr. Colter was showered with accolades. Even though the board thanked Mr. Colter for his years of service, Mr. Colter thanked only the teachers, parents and students making no attempt to ameliorate the situation.
Maybe we will discover that "mutually agreeable" means Mr. Colter approached the Board for a buyout, a win-win for him. Maybe six out of seven board members thought it better to accept his offer and begin the process of finding a new and enduring superintendent rather than one who has long since announced his disinterest in continuing.
Finally, six out of seven board members elected to run the Oyster River School District $35-plus million educational business voted to buy out the superintendent's contract; they have acted well within their purview in doing so and the community should at least wait to hear all of the facts before so roundly condemning them.
Luci Gardner
Durham
But even though it was well known that it was Mr. Colter's wish to leave, when it was announced that the Board and Mr. Colter had been negotiating for about a month over a buy-out which was reported as "mutually agreeable," speaker after speaker damned the board for acting behind their backs and hiding behind the right to know statute. Viewers left their gardening and sports programs to rush to the Wednesday evening meeting to tell the Board it was "crazy, stupid and irresponsible" to lose Mr. Colter early.
Even though both sides were bound by the confidentiality terms of the negotiated buyout, only the board, and not Mr. Colter, was flagellated for its silence while Mr. Colter was showered with accolades. Even though the board thanked Mr. Colter for his years of service, Mr. Colter thanked only the teachers, parents and students making no attempt to ameliorate the situation.
Maybe we will discover that "mutually agreeable" means Mr. Colter approached the Board for a buyout, a win-win for him. Maybe six out of seven board members thought it better to accept his offer and begin the process of finding a new and enduring superintendent rather than one who has long since announced his disinterest in continuing.
Finally, six out of seven board members elected to run the Oyster River School District $35-plus million educational business voted to buy out the superintendent's contract; they have acted well within their purview in doing so and the community should at least wait to hear all of the facts before so roundly condemning them.
Luci Gardner
Durham
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Updated minutes show OR board spending up to $185g to buy out superintendent
By RONI REINO rreino@fosters.com |
Thursday, June 23, 2011
DURHAM — Updated nonpublic School Board minutes show the district is spending up to $185,000 to buy out Superintendent Howard Colter from his contract.
Chair Henry Brackett had previously said the board was not releasing the cost of the buyout until June 30 when Colter's contract would run out. However, on Wednesday the nonpublic minutes of June 15 were updated to state how much the buyout was costing the district.
At the June 15 School Board meeting, members had returned from a nonpublic session to announce there had been a mutual agreement between Colter and the board for the superintendent to end his contract a year early. At that point, the board chose not to reveal the cost of the buyout.
Board Co-Chair Ann Wright wrote in an e-mail that the Board had not previously released the information because there was confusion regarding whether the board could release the specific terms of the separation agreement, which included the dollar amount.
The $185,000 the board is spending is for the "purpose of implementing the mutual separation agreement between Supt. Colter and School Board including legal fees and other costs associated with implementation," according to the minutes.
Member Krista Butts made a motion to expend funds from the unspent surplus fund balance for this purpose. The motion was seconded by member Jim Kach and passed on a vote of 6-1. Minutes do not indicate who voted against the motion.
Colter said he had been working with his attorney on the details of the agreement for more than a month before the announcement was made. Neither Colter nor the board has provided a reason for the buyout.
The decision to buy out Colter's contract and hire an interim superintendent comes on the heels of announcements by High School Principal Laura Rogers and Director of Instruction Meredith Nadeau that they would be leaving this year.
Chair Henry Brackett had previously said the board was not releasing the cost of the buyout until June 30 when Colter's contract would run out. However, on Wednesday the nonpublic minutes of June 15 were updated to state how much the buyout was costing the district.
At the June 15 School Board meeting, members had returned from a nonpublic session to announce there had been a mutual agreement between Colter and the board for the superintendent to end his contract a year early. At that point, the board chose not to reveal the cost of the buyout.
Board Co-Chair Ann Wright wrote in an e-mail that the Board had not previously released the information because there was confusion regarding whether the board could release the specific terms of the separation agreement, which included the dollar amount.
The $185,000 the board is spending is for the "purpose of implementing the mutual separation agreement between Supt. Colter and School Board including legal fees and other costs associated with implementation," according to the minutes.
Member Krista Butts made a motion to expend funds from the unspent surplus fund balance for this purpose. The motion was seconded by member Jim Kach and passed on a vote of 6-1. Minutes do not indicate who voted against the motion.
Colter said he had been working with his attorney on the details of the agreement for more than a month before the announcement was made. Neither Colter nor the board has provided a reason for the buyout.
The decision to buy out Colter's contract and hire an interim superintendent comes on the heels of announcements by High School Principal Laura Rogers and Director of Instruction Meredith Nadeau that they would be leaving this year.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
OR Board meets to review board and budget goals
By RONI REINO rreino@fosters.com |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
DURHAM — While Oyster River High School teachers were packing up their classrooms for the summer, School Board members were re-evaluating board and budget goals for the upcoming school year.
Although the board did not come to a consensus on how to approach next year's school department budget, members discussed how to continue open communications and efficient use of board time.
When discussing how to refine board meeting efficiency and protocol, members had a variety of suggestions, including having shorter meetings and covering more agenda items at meetings.
Member Jocelyn O'Quinn said the Board could reach out to other boards for advice on how to continue to have productive and efficient meetings.
"We keep trying to make things more efficient, but at some point you need advice," she said, adding the board needs to expand beyond itself.
Superintendent Howard Colter said it might be worthwhile for the board to consider having an annual meeting, on a scheduled day, to allow each committee — such as the Advisory Budget Committee or Wellness Committee — to present its progress. Adding presentations on already packed agendas has sometimes caused the board to create Special Meetings when they run out of time during regular meetings, Colter said.
Member Megan Turnbull said she agreed and thought it would provide broader community communications and inform the public when such presentations would be scheduled.
When talks turned to conducting a successful superintendent search and the subsequent hiring of a permanent superintendent, members wanted to strike a previously discussed notion of definitely using a hiring firm.
"I don't think we're ready to talk about that," member Megan Turnbull said. "I think it is one tool in the toolbox, but I prefer not to call it out yet."
Although members said they agreed, Co-Chair Ann Wright reminded the board that firms look to make presentations in June. If they wished to consider a firm in the fall during the permanent superintendent search, they would have to consider speaking with firms now to get an idea of their costs, procedures and availability.
The board included discussion from some Advisory Budget Committee members who were present during the workshop session to discuss how to move forward with budget goals.
However, O'Quinn said before pinpointing a specific budget requirement for administrators, she wanted to see what the anticipated budget climate and educational needs might look like.
With input from Business Administrator Sue Caswell, the Board discussed the potential need to focus on updating its capital improvement plan and anticipate for future programming changes.
Advisory Budget Committee member Tom Merrick said he would like the board to consider "fostering a budget" instead of giving a specific monetary request for administrators who would be planning budgets. He also added it would be beneficial if the board tried to keep a tight budget.
"Strive for a complete budget such that there is no surplus that leads you to over spend," he said.
Turnbull said she would like to see the budget include some of last year's priorities, including technology, world languages, ongoing professional development, high school music programming, maintaining class guidelines and analyzing bus routes for efficiency.
The board asked the business administrator and Advisory Budget Committee members to come back during a yet-to-be determined July workshop meeting to discuss how much money the district spent last year without "one-time" costs and to provide more input.
Although the board did not come to a consensus on how to approach next year's school department budget, members discussed how to continue open communications and efficient use of board time.
When discussing how to refine board meeting efficiency and protocol, members had a variety of suggestions, including having shorter meetings and covering more agenda items at meetings.
Member Jocelyn O'Quinn said the Board could reach out to other boards for advice on how to continue to have productive and efficient meetings.
"We keep trying to make things more efficient, but at some point you need advice," she said, adding the board needs to expand beyond itself.
Superintendent Howard Colter said it might be worthwhile for the board to consider having an annual meeting, on a scheduled day, to allow each committee — such as the Advisory Budget Committee or Wellness Committee — to present its progress. Adding presentations on already packed agendas has sometimes caused the board to create Special Meetings when they run out of time during regular meetings, Colter said.
Member Megan Turnbull said she agreed and thought it would provide broader community communications and inform the public when such presentations would be scheduled.
When talks turned to conducting a successful superintendent search and the subsequent hiring of a permanent superintendent, members wanted to strike a previously discussed notion of definitely using a hiring firm.
"I don't think we're ready to talk about that," member Megan Turnbull said. "I think it is one tool in the toolbox, but I prefer not to call it out yet."
Although members said they agreed, Co-Chair Ann Wright reminded the board that firms look to make presentations in June. If they wished to consider a firm in the fall during the permanent superintendent search, they would have to consider speaking with firms now to get an idea of their costs, procedures and availability.
The board included discussion from some Advisory Budget Committee members who were present during the workshop session to discuss how to move forward with budget goals.
However, O'Quinn said before pinpointing a specific budget requirement for administrators, she wanted to see what the anticipated budget climate and educational needs might look like.
With input from Business Administrator Sue Caswell, the Board discussed the potential need to focus on updating its capital improvement plan and anticipate for future programming changes.
Advisory Budget Committee member Tom Merrick said he would like the board to consider "fostering a budget" instead of giving a specific monetary request for administrators who would be planning budgets. He also added it would be beneficial if the board tried to keep a tight budget.
"Strive for a complete budget such that there is no surplus that leads you to over spend," he said.
Turnbull said she would like to see the budget include some of last year's priorities, including technology, world languages, ongoing professional development, high school music programming, maintaining class guidelines and analyzing bus routes for efficiency.
The board asked the business administrator and Advisory Budget Committee members to come back during a yet-to-be determined July workshop meeting to discuss how much money the district spent last year without "one-time" costs and to provide more input.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Video from last board meeting
This video was posted on Facebook from a few community members. Watching this video and reading the transcript, I hope we can move on from board hearsay, third party assumptions, and general mistrust. The new leadership team that will be selected in the next year has a tremendous opportunity to do just that. I am confident we can all move on from these pointed attacks and attract strong leaders.
Transcript at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqWeG-RwggA
Also, this letter was written to Fosters over the weekend.
To the editor: This is an open letter to the Oyster River Cooperative School District School Board.
Thursday night's buyout of Howard Colter's contract combined with the high school principal situation is clearly bringing into question the recent actions of the school board. My letter today won't do that.
Clearly the members of the board are reasonable people and have a vested interest in seeing ORCSD flourish and thrive. To me, that means the board's recent actions are serving that purpose in their minds.
The problem is that we (the people and parents) aren't really clear on the overreaching agenda of the board. If we were, then perhaps the recurring questioning of individual actions may cease (or at least significantly diminish).
Don't get me wrong, I understand that the board has the right to keep many of its internal processes confidential. There are very good reasons for this. However, in light of the current state of affairs, a healthy dose of transparency (and, if necessary, a simple "me a culpa") may well-serve to rebuild the community's trust in our school board.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Minutes show OR superintendent buyout was not unanimous
Today, Fosters Daily Democrat published an article by reporter Roni Reino covering the June 15 Oyster River school board meeting and providing details on the interim superintendent search.
Minutes show OR superintendent buyout was not unanimous
By RONI REINO
rreino@fosters.com
Saturday, June 18, 2011DURHAM — Minutes released from Wednesday's Oyster River School Board nonpublic session show the separation agreement between the superintendent and the board was not unanimously supported.
On Friday afternoon, Oyster River Board members released minutes saying member Krista Butts made a motion to expend funds from the unspent surplus fund balance for the purpose of implementing the mutual separation between Superintendent Howard Colter and the board, which would include legal fees and "other costs" associated with implementation.
The motion was seconded by member Jim Kach and passed on a vote of 6-1. Minutes do not indicate who voted against the motion or how much money is expected to be paid out.
There was also a motion made by member Ann Lane and seconded by Jocelyn O'Quinn to approve the mutual separation agreement between Colter and the board. That motion also passed by a 6-1 vote.
The board has also posted on the School District's website that an interim superintendent could begin working as soon as July 1.
Board members have officially posted the interim superintendent search process on the district's website.
At the June 15 meeting, the board approved that School Board Chair Henry Brackett will identify potential candidates and schedule interviews with the full board and representatives from the District's Leadership Team.
The Leadership Team is expected to include Business Administrator Sue Caswell and Director of Instruction Danielle Bulduc, according to Superintendent Howard Colter.
Colter said the Oyster River leadership team includes the superintendent, school principals, directors of instruction, the business administrator and the director of technology. Specific individuals who will be helping conduct interviews have yet to be determined.
"Given that Sue (Caswell) and Danielle (Bulduc) will be working closely with the interim superintendent, this seems like a logical and good suggestion," he wrote in an e-mail.
After interviews, at least one final candidate will be selected and a public interview will be scheduled. After the public interview, the board is expected to deliberate in a nonpublic session and then select and announce the new interim superintendent, according to the statement.
Board members outlined at the June 15 meeting what qualifications they would be looking for in a candidate.
Members said they expect a candidate will have experience as an educator and classroom instructor, prior experience as a superintendent, experience in managing change or transition, collaborative leadership skills, leadership mentoring skills, the ability to work collaboratively and support the ongoing leadership initiatives, the ability to "calm the waters" and set the stage for a successful transition to a permanent superintendent, the ability to work effectively with the board and the community, background in school district policies, the ability to facilitate the strategic planning process, and experience working in New Hampshire.
School Board members said they will continue to post information on the district's website as it become available.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Foster's Opinion Piece June 17th
It's time for OR School Board to explain itself
Friday, June 17, 2011
Oyster River School District residents should feel like one of boxer Mike Tyson's sparring partners, complete with an ear bitten off, after Wednesday night's announcement that the School Board has bought out the last year of Superintendent Howard Colter's contract.
The action, which appears to have come out of nowhere, climaxes an abusive few months for district residents. First it was the board's surprise decision to reject Colter's nominee as the new high school principal. This was followed by a series of lackluster and, to date, failed attempts to explain why. Next the board couldn't even agree on the makeup of a new selection committee, and finally in apparent desperation, opting to hire an interim principal.
Now Colter is shown the door under mysterious circumstances, and at a cost some estimate to be $300,000 by the time an interim replacement comes on board.
The issues here are so myriad it is hard to know where to begin. But let's start with the decision to buy out Colter's contact.
How did the board come to this decision before Thursday's night's meeting?
How the board got to its decision to part company with Colter raises serious questions and has already spawned accusations of clandestine meetings.
As reported Thursday, word was that last Friday the School Board was already interviewing candidates for an interim superintendent.
Interestingly, while board Chair Henry Brackett denied the allegation he readily admitted that he was talking to individuals on "what type of things we should do in this type of situation."
Is the Oyster River Community expected to believe, by inference, that Brackett was working independently of any communication with other board members? And who were these unnamed individuals Brackett was talking to?
This brings us to New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Law. Ever since all hell broke loose the Oyster River School Board has hidden behind the personnel exception to the law. Its members have refused at every step of the way to provide adequate explanation to district residents. The board as a whole has operated in the shadows of the law, if not outside of it.
With the decision to bid Colter farewell, the time is long overdue for the School Board to come out from the shadows. Chairman Brackett needs to call a meeting for the purpose of being open and honest with residents of the Oyster River School District.
State personnel laws don't prevent the board from admitting it disagrees with Colter over how the district should be run. Nowhere is the board prevented from discussing what all this is about and what it will cost taxpayers.
All the secrecy surrounding recent actions by the board only leads to speculation there is really more going on here, something that might embarrass the board or others.
For the record, there have been no accusations of wrongdoing and no indications that any laws have been broken by anyone other than the School Board with its perceived abuse of the Right-to-Know Law.
But that is all the more reason to clear the air and focus the discussion on the problems confronting the school district. It is the only way the district can move forward and again put the emphasis on providing students with a quality education.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Oyster River School District residents should feel like one of boxer Mike Tyson's sparring partners, complete with an ear bitten off, after Wednesday night's announcement that the School Board has bought out the last year of Superintendent Howard Colter's contract.
The action, which appears to have come out of nowhere, climaxes an abusive few months for district residents. First it was the board's surprise decision to reject Colter's nominee as the new high school principal. This was followed by a series of lackluster and, to date, failed attempts to explain why. Next the board couldn't even agree on the makeup of a new selection committee, and finally in apparent desperation, opting to hire an interim principal.
Now Colter is shown the door under mysterious circumstances, and at a cost some estimate to be $300,000 by the time an interim replacement comes on board.
The issues here are so myriad it is hard to know where to begin. But let's start with the decision to buy out Colter's contact.
How did the board come to this decision before Thursday's night's meeting?
How the board got to its decision to part company with Colter raises serious questions and has already spawned accusations of clandestine meetings.
As reported Thursday, word was that last Friday the School Board was already interviewing candidates for an interim superintendent.
Interestingly, while board Chair Henry Brackett denied the allegation he readily admitted that he was talking to individuals on "what type of things we should do in this type of situation."
Is the Oyster River Community expected to believe, by inference, that Brackett was working independently of any communication with other board members? And who were these unnamed individuals Brackett was talking to?
This brings us to New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Law. Ever since all hell broke loose the Oyster River School Board has hidden behind the personnel exception to the law. Its members have refused at every step of the way to provide adequate explanation to district residents. The board as a whole has operated in the shadows of the law, if not outside of it.
With the decision to bid Colter farewell, the time is long overdue for the School Board to come out from the shadows. Chairman Brackett needs to call a meeting for the purpose of being open and honest with residents of the Oyster River School District.
State personnel laws don't prevent the board from admitting it disagrees with Colter over how the district should be run. Nowhere is the board prevented from discussing what all this is about and what it will cost taxpayers.
All the secrecy surrounding recent actions by the board only leads to speculation there is really more going on here, something that might embarrass the board or others.
For the record, there have been no accusations of wrongdoing and no indications that any laws have been broken by anyone other than the School Board with its perceived abuse of the Right-to-Know Law.
But that is all the more reason to clear the air and focus the discussion on the problems confronting the school district. It is the only way the district can move forward and again put the emphasis on providing students with a quality education.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
OR superintendent's contract bought out: Colter leaving position on June 30
OR superintendent's contract bought out: Colter leaving position on June 30
By RONI REINO
rreino@fosters.com
Thursday, June 16, 2011
DURHAM — The Oyster River School Board has bought out the remainder of the contract for Superintendent Howard Colter, who will be leaving his position with the district as of June 30.
Before Wednesday's meeting, Colter was scheduled to stay with the district until June 2012.
In a statement after a nonpublic decision at Wednesday night's School Board meeting, the board said the decision was a mutual agreement with Colter and the School Board, but did not give a reason why Colter was leaving.
Read More...
http://fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110616/GJNEWS_01/706169679
By RONI REINO
rreino@fosters.com
Thursday, June 16, 2011
DURHAM — The Oyster River School Board has bought out the remainder of the contract for Superintendent Howard Colter, who will be leaving his position with the district as of June 30.
Before Wednesday's meeting, Colter was scheduled to stay with the district until June 2012.
In a statement after a nonpublic decision at Wednesday night's School Board meeting, the board said the decision was a mutual agreement with Colter and the School Board, but did not give a reason why Colter was leaving.
Read More...
http://fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110616/GJNEWS_01/706169679
Monday, June 13, 2011
ORCSD School Board Press Release About the Interim HS Principal
This was not published in Foster's (yet?). It was sent to me with a request to post it here.
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
On Wednesday evening, June 8th the Oyster River Cooperative School District School Board (ORCSD) unanimously confirmed the nomination by Superintendent Howard Colter of Todd Allen as the Interim Principal at Oyster River High School (ORHS). Currently the Assistant Principal of Oyster River Middle School (ORMS), Mr. Allen will begin his one year term on July 1, 2011. As a result, the ORCSD has suspended its principal search at this time.
School Board Chair Henry Brackett commented, “The board is pleased to have confirmed Todd’s nomination. We believe that selecting an internal candidate is in the district’s best interest. Todd knows the kids, he knows the parents and he has an established relationship with the district’s educators. We expect a smooth leadership transition and are pleased that the students will see a familiar face when they return to school in the fall. We look forward to continuing a long and distinguished relationship.”
Mr. Allen earned a Bachelor of Arts from University of Maine at Orono, a Masters in Education from Notre Dame College and expects to complete an Education Specialist in Administration and Supervision certification at the University of New Hampshire this spring. Mr. Allen has been on staff at ORCSD for twenty-six years. He joined the ORMS social studies department in 1985 and was promoted to Assistant Principal in 2008.
Throughout his tenure in the ORCSD, Mr. Allen has actively promoted educational excellence and physical well being in the district. He co-chaired the K-12 social studies district curriculum revision and alignment with the New Hampshire Standards; he served on the Ad-Hoc District Committee to evaluate the Middle School program; he presented regularly at New England League of Middle Schools and Seacoast Educational Services on the topics of interdisciplinary curriculum, team teaching and effective coaching techniques; and served as ORMS Athletic Director, Cross Country Coach, and is a founder of Friends of Oyster River Track (FORT). In addition, Mr. Allen is the Race Director of the highly successful Todd’s Trot 5K. Beginning and ending at ORHS, each year the race is held in the memory of OR graduate Peter Todd Heuchling, and from the proceeds an annual $5000 scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior. Mr. Allen himself has competed in over 30 marathons and has been instrumental in helping countless Oyster River students develop a lifelong love of running. He and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of two graduates of the ORCSD.
"We were very mindful of the thoughtful input of the ORHS faculty, staff, and students, and the citizens of the district and wanted to be responsive to their concerns," Chairman Brackett added. "I appreciate that selecting an internal candidate is almost unprecedented in our district. We are very fortunate to have an educator of Todd Allen’s caliber to lead our high school going forward.”
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Education Secretary May Agree to Waivers on ‘No Child’ Law Requirements
There may be support coming from the federal government for New Hampshire districts like Oyster River Cooperative that, despite strong schools, have failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) [fosters.com] levels for two consecutive years and have been identified as "in need of improvement" by the No Child Left Behind Act [wikipedia.org]. The following is an excerpt from today's issue of The New York Times where Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is pushing for reform and action from Congress regarding the No Child Left Behind Act.
Education Secretary May Agree to Waivers on ‘No Child’ Law Requirements
Unless Congress acts by this fall to overhaul No Child Left Behind, the main federal law on public education, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan signaled that he would use his executive authority to free states from the law’s centerpiece requirement that all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014.
The Obama administration has been facing a mounting clamor from state school officials to waive substantial parts of the law, which President Bush signed in 2002, especially its requirement that states bring 100 percent of students to proficiency in reading and math by 2014 or else face sanctions. In March, Mr. Duncan predicted that the law would classify 80,000 of the nation’s 100,000 public schools as failing this fall unless it was amended.
But his efforts to address the problem have gained little traction on Capitol Hill, where several attempts since 2007 to rewrite the sprawling school accountability law have failed.
Read More ... [nytimes.com]
If you would like to support Mr. Duncan's efforts to urge Congress to reform the No Child Left Behind Act, the National Education Association [nea.org] has provided an easy way to do so here [capwiz.com]. Just click the "Go!" button in the "Take Action Now!" box to compose and send an email to the Secretary of Education or produce a printed letter.
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