Guest Column: District 205’s administrative leave procedures — a response to Jane Hayes
By Tim Rollins
Rockford Board of Education member, Subdistrict B
I would like to respond to Jane Hayes’ guest column of May 31 (“District 205: Exposing the bullies among us,” May 31-June 5 issue of The Rock River Times). In doing so, I want to make it clear I am speaking only for myself, and not for the administration or any other board member.
One of the most difficult and perplexing situations in which we find ourselves as board members is receiving concerns expressed by members of the community regarding personnel actions taken by the administration and board. These situations are difficult and perplexing for us because, as a result of privacy concerns designed to protect the individuals involved (not the administration or board), we are not permitted to discuss personnel actions or release any information regarding our actions. This information vacuum creates an opportunity for some people to speculate and advocate, without any fear that they will be contradicted or corrected.
While I cannot discuss specific or individual situations, let me at least respond to Ms. Hayes’ concerns regarding the practice of placing employees on administrative leave with some general statements.
1. When credible allegations that raise concerns about student safety or well-being are made against adult personnel who have direct contact with students, it is the administration’s policy to remove the adult immediately and place him or her on paid administrative leave (with full benefits) while a thorough investigation can be conducted. I believe this is an appropriate balancing of interests. When student safety and well-being are at stake, our primary concern should be the protection of children. Ms. Hayes may feel differently, in which case she and I will simply have to disagree. I want to emphasize, though, that no one ought to make any assumptions about any individual who has been placed on administrative leave. The sole purpose of an administrative leave is to provide time to conduct an investigation. The results of those investigations can (and do) run the gamut, from concluding that the allegations were unfounded through concluding that the allegations were true and that action needs to be taken. Until the investigation is complete and action taken, no one ought to jump to any conclusions.
2. People who do not have access to all of the facts ought not judge those who do. I understand that it can be frustrating to be in the dark about why a particular decision was made. Remember, though, that the privacy rules we follow are for the protection of the individual, not us. The individual, and not the administration or board, is the one person who has the power to lift those restrictions. Any individual who, after an investigation has been completed and final action taken, feels he or she has been treated unfairly by the administration or board may sign a full release and authorization, authorizing the administration to release the individual’s full personnel file (including all investigatory and hearing records) to the public. If that has not happened, then please do not assume you know all of the relevant facts.
3. District employees are public employees. Because they are public employees, they have constitutional due process rights that are not afforded private employees. In addition, they have rights created by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act and, in most cases, under a collective bargaining agreement. If they are subject to a collective bargaining agreement, they are represented by their collective bargaining agent and have grievance rights. These rights, laws and contracts ensure that the district cannot act arbitrarily or capriciously in taking any adverse employment action, and further ensure that employees who believe they have been unfairly aggrieved have a number of opportunities and venues in which to challenge any such action.
The school district has many successes to celebrate, and many challenges to overcome. The board, administration and many members of this community have worked hard over the past year to begin to address these challenges collaboratively, constructively and positively. I want to thank everyone who has been a participant in that process, and I hope the community can sustain that same momentum and enthusiasm in the coming year.
Tim Rollins is an elected member of the Rockford Board of Education, District 205, representing Subdistrict B. The opinions he expresses are his own.
From the June 6-12, 2012, issue
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18 Comments
I understand the safety concerns and appreciate the administration’s desire to protect the children. The problem lies with the students who are using the administrative process to “get back” at teachers they don’t like. It’s unfortunate, but a number of students in the district play the system – both in allegations against teachers and in filing appeals on their discipline suspensions. What recourse do teachers have when the allegations are unfounded, shown to be unfounded on video, and the teacher is still left suspended for months?
Tim Rollins is incorrect in one major claim. He and the other board members don’t have all the facts either. They simply have the facts that the board, and their attorney, have chosen to provide. The board members do not investigate or even talk to the staff member about to be fired, they just swallow whatever story the administrators tell them and they do what the admin say to do. This district is rotten to the core and more information will come out about wrongful terminations. Many people have been fired for being vocal critics of administration. The culture of fear and intimidation that started under Sheffield and continues under Willis (Sheffield with a Smile) is illegal and immoral. And the board is complicit in these crimes. Jane Hayes knows what she is talking about, Tim Rollins has no clue what is going on in the district, he is simply too busy getting contracts for his conservative friends and busting unions!
You basically wrote entire page on privacy and then put the burden of proving innocence back onto the party in question. You did not address the humiliating practice of being escorted to your vehicle or some of the tactics which are utilized by our legal staff.
Let’s discuss your points.
1.)When credible allegations that raise concerns about student safety…
Of course a person that is a potential safety risk should not be in contact with students, but are you saying that our legal department and administrators are so out of touch with what is happening that we are scrambling last-minute to get the staff member out and away from the students? Is there no strategic planning involved? You have no knowledge prior to the start of a school day to handle a situation with professionalism? Allegations just conveniently come to light during the school day and the best route is to have a staff member escorted out in front of students -losing their respect and opening them up for mockery and rumors? I would believe that action immediately negates the protection of their privacy.
2.)People who do not have access to all of the facts ought not judge those who do. and Any individual who…may sign a full release and authorization.
This is laughable. In an ideal world this would be excellent, but you need to get off of your pedestal and come back to reality. First, do you honestly believe administration and legal give the public (and you for the matter) all of the facts without withholding or manipulating the information to their benefit? Are you free to speak to individuals, ask questions or would counsel not advise it? Second, if administration caused the humiliation and was incorrect in it’s handling, why shouldn’t they take the responsibility to clear the name of one of their employees?
3.)…the district cannot act arbitrarily or capriciously in taking any adverse employment action…
Are really you this idealistic and honestly believe that the district doesn’t or hasn’t done this? It’s a good thing that we can’t magically turn your whole 3rd point into toilet paper.
It’s great that you want to address privacy concerns, but you should at some point address the right to knowledge. You campaigned about honesty and transparency…checkmark for failed.
What is going on here is simple, stupid drama. Jane Hayes and her classic witch hunts and a board member who feels the need to speak out to a bunch of goofs who aren’t going to listen, only sit there, take notes and plan the next pedantic guest column to counter this one. While Rollins is correct about the admin leave procedure, his getting involved in this discussion with Ms. Hayes is foolish. I would hope the school board has tuned out Jane Hayes and the WEE clown act by now. All they are is a bunch of tired bleeding heart liberals who choke and gasp any time someone does anything that resembles fiscal conservatism. Even when Sheffield was here, they had no idea what they were talking about. They attacked the wrong issues then and are continuing to do so. These little back-and-forth guest columns are what is wrong with this city. An entire world is going on out there while we sit in our little Rockford fish bowl and cry victim every time someone does something we don’t agree with.
I agree. WEE has done nothing but stir up trouble. It would be one thing if they challenged what really needed fixing. But The only thing they know how to do is cry foul. The latest is the laura-Matt powers nonsense. Laura ran for school board as a WEE stooge as did Jane Hayes. Matt, a teacher allegedly assaulted a student and was dealt with according to procedure. But he thinks he was wronged. Now that their are finding out that they have to play by the rules and that their scheme didn’t work they are accusing the big bad bully of a system of attacking them. Hear this: nobody cares about your silly accusations. Shut up and move on.
I never cease to be amazed by what things are said and what bottom-of-the-barrel comments people will use.
Our school district is not perfect. I’m guessing it is because we happen to have real live breathing people working for it. Our community is not perfect. Again, I’m guessing it’s the breathing people with their own thoughts, backgrounds, and belief systems causing the problems.
I am not asking anyone to be silent and never question some of the management tools used or policies & procedures in place for District 205(I happen to do it frequently and some would say ad nauseum.), but do people really need to hit below the belt to try and make a point? I guess if it’s the best you have for communication skills and the only thing you have to offer then serve it up. I’m pretty sure the next bottom barrel scraper will scoop up your work and mold it into another heap of a mess.
In two editorials and including their comments, our community participants have managed several things: claim foul on the district—yet again, someone has tried to justify why the district does what it does, we’ve had people talk about musketeers and witches, magic and toilet paper, claim what’s wrong with the community is Rock River Times’ editorials, and one other item was put out there. Of all of the writings, be they the editorials or comments, the one thing I believe is worthy of the Douche award is the person that has to drag in either an individual’s spouse, child, or extended family member. Please feel free to give a bologna response that you are within your rights because she is an elected official and it’s part of the territory.
I am the other Susan. While I cannot speak to the situation that others mentioned, in the past the district has used administrative leave, walking people out, ect. as a means of silencing people or getting rid of people not liked. The district has lost law suits based on this behavior remember the special education teachers at Auburn. WEE has been a bonus to our community. It is a shame something like WEE does not exist for our rapidly failing public library.
KM, I wish i could get the minute of my life spent reading your moronic comment back. But, sadly, it is not possible. It is a shame that people are permitted to walk about this city, have jobs and raise families all while their heads are up their a$$es. Please do not ever comment again.
I’m commenting Grabby and what exactly do you plan on doing about it? It took you an entire minute to read it? Sad. It probably took you five minutes to formulate a response. Thank you for being the example to my point. Enjoy your Douche award. You may now go back to your scraping.
KM
There is a difference between “not perfect” and incompetent and malicious. There are too many of the district’s “leaders” and “lawyers” who are both. Unfortunately, you don’t know about that so your uniformed comments don’t hold much water. Keep listening to the drivel put out by the three stooges- Willis, Vosberg, and Jarrett and keep reading the press releases as reported word for word by “reporter”, or should I say mouth piece for the district, Cathy Beyer.
People who don’t know more than they read in the newspaper should probably keep their comments to themselves, or better yet get informed!
I do know many things(probably much more than you) as I worked for the district for more than a decade before leaving and working for an outside law firm which has sued the district frequently. I absolutely just love when negative persons use only a few people to claim the district-as a whole- is “incompetent.” Let me guess, only teachers are perfect and are absolutely not part of the problem. Their crosses must be so heavy. Hmm…what positions did Willis, Vosberg, and Jarrett hold in their years before their current titles? Former teachers with rogue ideas, moving up the career chain and trying to implement new ideas…will the conspiracy ever end? REA is perfect, too? Nobody there is incompetent or malicious? You have no voice in the real world and so you need to vent here. You aren’t privy to documents or the inner workings, so you just conjure up rumors and point fingers. Grab your pitchforks and take to the streets; it would be much more fun than this and would suit you better. Until Jane or Tim’s next piece, take care and I hope you come up with more intelligent banter. In the meantime, go back to your origami or your endless Google searches on Area 51. Also, watch your head…I heard the sky is falling.
KM
I guess you do know it all…not! The three stooges are former teachers? That is a laugh!! I know two of them taught for a couple of years until their ambitions pushed them into the realm of administration and the ladder climbing began. Willis a teacher? I guess if you count the college classes he taught on negotiations and union busting! I never said that there are not incompetent teachers…there are. Just like there are incompetent and malicious lawyers and administrators, they just tend to do lots more damage on a larger scale. I do know this about teachers, they didn’t get into it for the money or to stroke their egos like so many administators (failed teachers after 2-4 years) and lawyers did! You don’t know anything if you rely on “documents and inner workings”. If you aren’t in a school building (not the downtown palace) you really have no idea of what is going on in district 205, you only know what you are told, not by actual experience! KM you are too sad and uninformed!! By the way, if I have no real voice and am on this website, what about you???
You seem to know these people so intimately. You are a fraud. You know little, but talk much. I think they call that a babbling idiot. Like I said before, I’ll wait for more intelligent banter. Okay Stevie, it’s time for the adults to talk…run along and play. Next topic….
I think km had a good point. Why drag Mrs. Powers husband into it? Every comment after that was trying to do what? Grabby and Steve would prefer to pick on someone who isn’t even part of the conversation? I teach and like the idea of someone playing fair and not into the bullying. I would surprised if Jane Hayes would support Grabby’s bully-style comment for km to never ever comment again…and Steve, seriously? You go after someone who wasn’t offensive and wants people to not generalize or lump everyone into one group….like Admin does all the time? Wow. Dude, you are losing it. KM– DON’T LET THE BULLIES AMONG US STOP YOU FROM COMMENTING.
KM calls people “douches” and that is not offensive?
KM calls me a “babbling idiot” and I am the bully?
You must be tired of your own insanity!
Didn’t see where he/she used anyone’s name and said they were a douche or a babbling idiot. I do see douche award and “I think they call that babbling idiot.” Obviously, you feel both apply to you and with good reason. I really hope you don’t think you speak for any of us teachers. Several of us have discussed and laughed (mostly AT you) and we find your comments inappropriate and they embarrass our profession. You are sinking in your own muck. My suggestion: move to higher ground. I do believe we will all leave you now to your pointless rambling (err…babble.)
Tired of teh Insanity
I speak for myself not you or any teachers. And if you think I care about being laughed at by a group of teachers, you must think I am thinned skinned. I could care less what you and your REA buds think of me or my comments. Stand up for yourself and speak for yourself, you don’t represent teachers any more than I do. You might want to check out your own muck before you complain about others. Babble over…
These back and forth diatribes by those who comment are on the level of second graders taunting each other in the school yard, except second graders have more common sense!! Too many of the people that comment need to get a life!