GILROY
– One of at least four English teachers dismissed from Gilroy
High School says her release has nothing to do with what she did
inside the classroom and everything to do with not being
”
a match
”
with the administration.
GILROY – One of at least four English teachers dismissed from Gilroy High School says her release has nothing to do with what she did inside the classroom and everything to do with not being “a match” with the administration.
Although she says she received only positive evaluations, Kristen Porter will not be re-hired by the district next year, after two years at Gilroy High School.
“I was told that it’s not because of what I’m doing in the classroom,” Porter said. “I was just told that I was not a good match.”
Principal Bob Bravo said that, while school and district administrators consider whether an employee meshes with his or her peers and the administration, it would not be the sole reason for letting a teacher go.
Porter said GHS administrators did not elaborate on why she was not a good match. She now worries students will lose out because she says the four teachers leaving – including Debbie DeWall, Christina McGovern, and Deborah Petranek – challenge their students. The releases will affect roughly a quarter of the department, which came under public scrutiny earlier this year by The Alliance for Academic Excellence, seeking a more rigorous English program.
The teachers are still reeling from their discharge which kicks in at the end of this school year.
Bravo said hiring decisions are not based solely on one’s ability to fit in at the school. While he wouldn’t speak specifically to Porter’s case, Bravo said there are many factors that go into the decision to not re-hire such an employee.
“When we make our decision, we’re making (it) based on a whole package of things,” Bravo said. “It’s how teachers do in a classroom, it’s also attention to their professional development – it’s a whole constellation of reasons.”
One of those reasons might be “not fitting in” with administration and staff, he said.
“I think that’s one of the factors. People need to work with each other, sure,” Bravo said. “I think the idea of fitting in, by itself, that doesn’t motivate us to make decisions.”
Some of the factors considered, Bravo said, include how teachers intearact with one another – whether they share information or turn to their peers for help when they’re struggling – participation in meetings and staff development, and communicating positively with support staff.
Bravo emphasized that the process of not re-hiring teachers does not mean they’re incompetent.
“We want to take on people that we know are going to help us be the best school we can,” he said. “It’s not about people who can’t do the job at all, sometimes. We’re looking at a whole lot of factors.
“I think that we get put in a little bit tough position that we need to make our decisions in February … and we do the best we can with the information we have at the time.”
The district has to notify second-year probationary teachers, like Porter, by March 15 if they will not be re-hired.
Porter questioned the motive for letting go four “challenging” teachers.
“The feeling I’m getting is that they want teachers who are going to give out easy grades to make the school look better,” Porter said. “The teachers who are showing movies all day and are handing out the good grades are staying.”
Bravo denied such an attempt, saying that grades often vary between classes based on students’ abilities.
“(Grades) really lead us to ask a chain of question,” Bravo said. “That in itself doesn’t signal if somebody is doing something wrong as much as it raises other questions: Is a teacher being too easy, or being too tough?”
Porter also is concerned that each of the four educators teaches at the freshman level.
“You need experienced teachers in there, this is like a foundation class,” she said.
McGovern, a six-year educator, did not want to discuss why she will not be re-hired but said in her case that the district is losing an excellent teacher. DeWall and Petranek did not return phone messages by press time.
Michelle Nelson, president of the Gilroy Teachers Association, said there is not much that can be done if the teachers contend with their firings.
“Under law, people in certain categories can be ‘non-re-elected,’ and the district is not required to give a reason,” Nelson said. “And if you’re a second-year probationary employee, as long as you’re told by March 15 you’re being ‘non-re-elected’, there’s not much we can do. And there’s not much we can do for (first-year probationary) or temporary employees, either.”
All Nelson can do is make sure the proper process is followed, she said. Most of the teachers will have the option of submitting letters of resignation.
Given that the district is not required to give a reason for the release, she said, it’s plausible a teacher would be told he or she is not a good match.
“That’s a standard line: ‘You’re not a good fit,’ ” Nelson said.
“And what makes it really difficult for teachers in this position … in private (companies), individuals can walk you out the door and say ‘bye,’ ” Nelson said. “But when people are (not re-hired), they’re expected to perform their duties with as much enthusiasm as they’ve been doing all year, and that’s really hard for some teachers.”
She described the ironic underlying message.
“It’s difficult because you’re expected to do a good job, but you’re being told you’re not doing a good job, but you’re expected to keep doing the good job you’ve been doing.”
Porter, who is pursuing a master’s degree in educational counseling from San Jose State University, said she hopes to continue working in schools.
