By Patricia Bogumil
Editor
Waterford High School math teacher Jody Johnsrud won’t be going away when the current school year ends. The school board decided May 14 to renew his contract for 2014-15.
Social studies teacher Brad Slinde has been told to go, but he’s not going easy.
Both teachers are 15-year veterans at the high school.
• Johnsrud’s job was targeted for elimination due to declining student enrollment in math classes, according to Superintendent Keith Brandstetter.
But, on May 14, Johnsrud presented the school board with a different plan for math than what was discussed a week earlier. The board then decided to offer Johnsrud a contract for next year, and instructed Brandstetter to try and make the math program work from a budgetary standpoint.
• On the other hand, the board’s earlier decision not to renew Slinde’s contract remains in place, despite impassioned pleas and testimonials from dozens of students and parents who jammed into the school board’s May 14 meeting room.
“It’s sad,” said parent Bev Shervey after the meeting. “In high school it’s hard to reach these kids and Mr. Slinde makes history interesting. That’s what a lot of the kids were saying to them.”
Slinde said May 19 that he plans to fight what he considers to be unjust, illegal actions by the school board, which decided in closed session May 7 not to renew his contract, citing poor performance issues, which he disputes.
Lawyers with Southern Lakes United Educators and the Wisconsin Education Association Council have reviewed his case and believe he has a valid shot at getting his job back, Slinde said.
“Students want to keep me around, they know I’m one of the really good teachers here; the staff knows I’m a good teacher. It’s frustrating,” Slinde said.
“All I want to do is teach. I just want to keep my job.”
Brandstetter commented that parents and students are not always fully aware of all performance issues being addressed by administration at school.
He said documentation of the issues that gave rise to the nonrenewal decision was given to Slinde May 7. That material is now in the hands of Slinde’s lawyers.
Legal opinions
The first step in the process will likely be to file a grievance, which is allowed under the state’s Act 10, Slinde said.
Also likely to be reviewed by the union attorneys is the May 7 closed session notice, discussion and vote on Slinde’s non-renewal.
Brandstetter said state law does give a school board the option to vote in either closed or open session on a teacher’s non-renewal issue.
In last week’s issue, an attorney specializing in freedom of information issues was quoted as saying the board’s vote needed to be taken in open session, per state statutes.
Meanwhile, Slinde’s old position in the social studies department is now posted internally and online.
“I figure they already have somebody set,” Slinde commented, adding he thinks it’s likely some inexperienced teacher willing to coach a sport.
“We have a process in place that we follow,” Brandstetter said. He said there hasn’t been any discussion with anybody who is interested in the social studies position.
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