CHARLESTON BACKS FIRE HS PRINCIPAL; DOZENS AT BOARD MEETING IN SUPPORT OF JOE FORREST

CHARLESTON -- Concerned citizens asked the Charleston Board of Education Thursday night to reconsider its decision to fire high-school principal Joe Forrest.

Fifty-six people requested time to speak during the board meeting, which was held in cramped quarters in the superintendent's office at the Board of Education building. About 80 people attended the meeting.

"We are hoping we can influence the board to change their decision and rehire him," said Dan Kesselring, faculty member and coach. "The reasons they stated to the teachers is that (Forrest) did not communicate to the faculty well. The odd thing is that not one board member came and spoke to myself or to other teachers. I think they did this for political reasons."

"He cares about our education, our safety and our wellbeing," said Angie Stefankiewicz, Student Council president and a high-school senior.

She was one of four students listed on the agenda for presentations. "I'm a senior and I'll be graduating, but I think it will be to their benefit if he's there next year," she said.

None of the speakers supported the decision to fire Forrest, which came in spite of Superintendent Terry Rowe's recommendation to renew his contract. Several faculty members said they were told the decision was made in part because Forrest didn't communicate well with his faculty.

"This decision, in my opinion, has nothing to do with education," said high-school audio-visual secretary Clara Cope, whose husband is a retired principal of the high school. "Most of the faculty are horrified that such a small group of people can speak so badly about a person that they can cause him to lose his job."

Two former board members spoke at the meeting. Former member Wayne Corse said he did not speak on behalf of either side but wanted the board members to consider their role as employers.

"There can be no discipline in this system if this board does not discipline itself," he said. "This was a wrongful dismissal because you did not follow due process."

Corse said Forrest's evaluation should be used to recommend whether he should be rehired or terminated. If the evaluation did not reflect problem areas in his performance, he should have been rehired.

"We put you on this board to take a stand," Corse said. "Take the individual, take the personalities out of this board and reconsider this issue based on the facts you have before you."

More than 30 faculty members signed a letter two weeks ago requesting board members to call a special meeting to reconsider the decision. While no meeting has been called, supporters are hopeful that the closed meeting following the speakers will result in Forrest's reinstatement.