Survey of teachers critical of Jackson school administrators

A survey of Jackson teachers last year complained of low morale and "vindictive" school administrators.

Former Jackson junior high school teacher Patti Miinch contends she was pressured to resign last month because of that spring 2005 survey. The survey was conducted when she served as president of the Jackson Community Teachers Association.

School officials deny the accusation. They dismiss the survey, suggesting it doesn't represent the views of most teachers in the district.

But Miinch said more than 100 of about 300 teachers in the district filled out the survey and many of them were critical of the administration.

School officials suggest that many teachers didn't fill out the survey but admit they don't know how many actually responded.

The survey had a long list of grievances including a "lack of accountability on the part of upper administration" and a "lack of leadership." Surveyed teachers complained teachers had little input into district decisions.

"Not only are we not heard, we are not valued," Miinch said.

The Patton, Mo., area resident said she initiated the survey after numerous requests from fellow teachers and with the unanimous approval of CTA leaders.

Miinch said Jackson superintendent Dr. Ron Anderson was angered by the survey and refused to let her present the survey results to the school board in open or closed session.

Anderson, she said, confronted her a day after she distributed the survey to CTA leaders at each school.

"Dr. Anderson called me. He was mad," she said.

Anderson said he doesn't remember confronting her. "I think I might have talked to her about the survey," he said.

The superintendent said he doesn't recall Miinch's request to speak to the school board about the survey results.

Anderson said he gave little attention to the survey. "It was not a big thing," he said.

Miinch claims Anderson subsequently told R.O. Hawkins Junior High School principal Cory Crosnoe to find a reason to fire her because of the controversial survey.

Miinch said her claim is backed up by a former colleague who told her last fall that Crosnoe indicated Anderson and assistant superintendent Dr. Rita Fisher had made such a demand.

The former colleague wouldn't publicly discuss the issue when contacted by a reporter. He said teachers are afraid to speak out publicly about the school administration.

Crosnoe dismissed Miinch's claim. "That is just a lie. Dr. Anderson and Dr. Fisher never told me to get rid of her," he said.

Miinch said Crosnoe repeatedly called her into his office to criticize her conduct during the 2005-2006 school year. The criticism, she said, wasn't justified.

"I would walk out of his office fighting tears," she said.

Crosnoe denies badgering her. Miinch, he said, often visited his office. "Patti came in quite a bit to voice her complaints," he said.

Crosnoe said Miinch repeatedly talked about the survey. "She was talking about it all the time. I don't think anybody took it seriously," he said.

The Jackson Chamber of Commerce recognized the ninth-grade language arts teacher as one of four educators of the year in April 2004.

Crosnoe said Miinch was a talented classroom teacher. "Unfortunately there were other issues that at some point overshadowed that," he said.

Miinch, he said, believed she was being punished because of the survey.

"There is no way that is the case," said Crosnoe. "That is just not true."

But last April, school officials put Miinch on paid administrative leave and proceeded with efforts to terminate the tenured teacher.

Her language-arts students finished the year with a substitute teacher. "I didn't get to tell them goodbye," she said of her abrupt departure.

School officials won't talk about the specifics because it involves personnel issues.

But Miinch's attorney, Ken McManaman, said school officials wanted to fire Miinch on grounds of immorality and absenteeism.

School administrators said she failed to attend a teaching conference and lied about her absence, the Cape Girardeau lawyer said.

Miinch said she didn't attend an education conference at Lake of the Ozarks in mid-March 2005 because she was sick. She admits she didn't tell Crosnoe about her absence.

"I did wrong, and I don't want to sugarcoat that," she said.

Her attorney said she didn't tell Crosnoe of her absence because she was afraid she would be fired.

The truth finally surfaced at a meeting with the principal in April.

Miinch said she apologized and offered to repay the $240 conference fee the district had paid on her behalf. She also suggested her absence from the conference be counted as an employee sick day.

But Miinch said the principal rejected her offer. "Cory said that wasn't good enough. Then I was put on administrative leave."

Said Miinch, "I walked down the hall. I was just numb."

McManaman believes the district didn't have sufficient grounds to fire Miinch.

Miinch planned to fight the district's effort to fire her. "I wanted the board to at least hear what was going on," she said.

But she resigned abruptly before the start of a public hearing June 29 in front of the Jackson school board.

Miinch said she resigned out of fear that school officials would seek to withhold her state teaching certificate. That would have made it difficult for her to get another teaching job, she said.

McManaman said his client now has the teaching certificate and can look for another full-time teaching job. Meanwhile, Miinch has obtained a part-time teaching job at Southeast Missouri State University. She will teach a freshman English course this fall.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123