CEL Board hires new superintendent/principal amid controversy

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[May 21, 2015]  LINCOLN - On May 14, 2015 the Chester-East Lincoln School Board held a special meeting in order to announce the hiring of a principal/superintendent and approve the appointment of two new board members to fill vacant seats.

Board members present were Jeff Brooks, board president; Lori Birnbaum, vice president; Tish Podunajec, secretary; and Jason Toft. Superintendent Jennifer Hamm was present and around 50 guests.

After approval of the agenda, school board president Jeff Brooks welcomed comments from the public.

CEL teacher Jill Urish addressed the board about opening up the lines of communication between teachers, administration, and the board. She explained that she felt that during the (recent) selection of a superintendent, the teaching staff was informed through third parties and was perplexed that decisions directly affecting the staff were coming to them indirectly. Urish would like for the board and teachers to be able to trust each other. This would require “keeping lines of communication open.”

Brooks acknowledged these concerns by noting that in a small town community it seems that everyone knows what is happening.

Mark Shew, a parent of two CEL students, next addressed the board, stating that he feels the leadership needs to be more transparent, have better communication, and lead by keeping the community informed about what is going on. Shew said the board has never addressed communication in official ways (such as their website) about the recent resignation of Superintendent/Principal Hamm. He also noted that when [board member] Ben Roland stepped down, nothing was shared. Shew said he knows being on the board can be a “crappy job.” He wants better communication about having interviews and asked the board whether they are following proper aspects and whether they have to post anything.

Brooks explained that the board does not have to post [the administrative jobs].

Shew asked that the board let people know they are conducting interviews and says he has quashed rumors around town about the school.

After hearing from Urish and Shew, the board went into a brief closed session.

Teacher Beth Steffens, who had a vested interest in the recent hiring, made the observation that some are concerned that the board has not let people know about the hiring process. They interviewed [candidates] last Tuesday without people knowing they were interviewing and not posting the job. Steffens noted that they interviewed two people they already knew.

When the board returned from the closed session, Brooks announced the appointment of Laura Irwin as the new superintendent/principal, and Dwane Morris and Brandi Splitter to the vacant board seats. Morris’s term will be four years and Splitter’s two years. They were immediately sworn in by the board.

The monthly board meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. The public is welcome to attend the open meeting.

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The following is a timeline leading up to the issues dealt with in the May 14 board meeting:

In the April 7 elections, there were three open board seats and three candidates. However, only two candidates could be elected as all three were from East Lincoln Township. By law only three board members can be from East Lincoln and one already sitting board member was from East Lincoln.

Board members Brooks and Podunajec retained their seats. Going into the regular April 21 board meeting, everyone knew one member would need to be appointed to fill the seat being vacated by board member Kenny Golden.

At the regular April 21st board meeting, the members who were re-elected took their oath. During the meeting, Mrs. Hamm announced her resignation as she had accepted a position as assistant superintendent in the Galesburg School District.

April 22 the school sent out an email on behalf of the board indicating that individuals interested in filling the vacant seat needed to submit a letter by May 6th.

April 28 the school/board sent an email indicating there would be a special board meeting at 6 p.m. on April 30th. The only item on the agenda was executive session. Ben Roland submitted his resignation as a member which was accepted at the April 30 meeting.

May 1 an email was sent indicating the board was accepting letters of interest for the now two vacancies on the board. Both the April 22 and May 1 emails indicated interested individuals would be interviewed Thursday, May 14 and seated before the regular meeting on May 19.

May 4th an email was sent announcing a special board meeting for Thursday, May 7th at 5:30 p.m. the agenda listed non-action items of board vacancies and executive session.

May 8 an email was sent indicating the board decided to extend the opportunity to submit letters of interest for the board vacancy. The email again indicates that interested individuals would be interviewed May 14 and seated on May 19.

[Angela Reiners]

 

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