HUMBOLDT — More than a dozen members of the Humboldt chapter of the National Education Association came to the USD 258 Board of Education meeting Monday night.
Teri Shaughnessy, vice president of Humboldt teachers union, addressed the board and read a statement regarding their recent decision to fire Jeff Wilkerson, a physical education teacher at Humboldt Middle School.
Shaughnessy said the board’s recent decision impacted all teachers in the district. She cited Article IX, sections A, B and D of the master agreement, which covers teacher duties, evaluations and grievances, which she said they chose to ignore.
“(This) is not only shocking, but also sends a very direct message to each of us,” Shaughnessy said. “That action tells us that not only are teachers in this district viewed as insignificant, but we can no longer rely on the board to stand up for its teachers and honor the master agreement.”
She called their decision “disrespectful and discouraging” to the teachers of USD 258.
The board went into executive session for five minutes before returning and moved on to the next items in the agenda without further comment.
The board approved hiring Jacqueline Heim as math teacher and Brett Lischner as the middle and high school at-risk aide. Then they approved spending $1,030 to acquire real estate located at 1213 Cherokee from David Toll. The board then quickly adjourned.
Board members and HNEA representatives declined to speak on the record to the Register.
Union registers protest with BOE
