A packed room was on hand for an open employee hearing at the Marion County School District board meeting Monday night where the board voted not to accept the non-renewal of a teacher’s contract.
Vivian Dillon, a math teacher at East Marion High School, had been with the district for 24 years.
An attorney for the administration alleged that Dillon was insubordinate, particularly regarding the handling of special needs students in her class, while her attorney argued that she ultimately followed what the district mandated regarding grades for those students.
Both lawyers presented their sides in open session before the school board met for about 30 minutes in executive session to discuss the issue.
Once the executive session ended, Board President Keith Stuckey met with Dillon’s attorney, Michael Adelman of Hattiesburg, the attorney for the administration, Laura Rose of Ridgeland, and School Board Attorney Fred Cooper to discuss the decision rendered in the executive session.
Stuckey then addressed the crowd, informing them of the results of the vote to not accept the non-renewal of Dillon’s contract, meaning she could potentially continue to teach in the district.
However, Dillon said Tuesday that she has accepted a position in another district but wanted to contest the non-renewal so that her tenure in Marion County did not leave a bad taste in her mouth with people thinking she was not good to her students.
Teachers who contest not having their contracts renewed can opt to have the hearing open to the public, which Dillon did, and she had a large number of supporters on hand Monday night at the district’s central office.
At the beginning of the hearing, Stuckey advised Adelman and Rose that they would both have 10 minutes to present their arguments.
“There are allegations that she was insubordinate because she did not follow the agenda regarding grades, but ultimately she did follow what was mandated regarding grades,” Adelman said.
“There are allegations that she violated the code by not nurturing the students and that she embarrassed her students. Nothing could be further from the truth, and there is no evidence in the record to establish that,” he said.
Adelman made mention that Dillon was the school district’s teacher of the year in 2008.
Adelman referenced a letter in the record from Bernard Williams, a former student of Dillon’s. Williams now has a doctorate and works with the Youth Court in Shelby County, Tenn., Adelman said. In the letter Williams stated for Dillon to keep pushing students beyond their perceived expectations. The letter ended with Williams stating he would not be where he was in life without her love and commitment to her students.
“What I would submit what is being proposed is to sacrifice a certified, qualified mathematics teacher at some perceived slight instead rather some honest disagreement at some procedures,” Adelman said.
Adelman also said during the recent state test out of the Algebra I class where Dillon was accused of being insubordinate, there were 63 students who took that test with 57 passing, which is 90 percent. Only two of the special education students did not pass, according to Adelman.
“She is a math teacher to the core of her being,” Adelman said.
Then Rose addressed the board.
“Despite the various strengths Dillon may have as a math teacher, over the past school year she has simply failed and at times refused to timely and properly conduct her class in regards to special needs students,” Rose said.
“Dillon did teach an Algebra I class with inclusion students and each of the inclusion students had an IEP (individual education plan). However, she was given numerous resources by the administration to handle the class,” Rose said.
Rose said, “Dillon had numerous meetings with Dr. Newsome to discuss how to handle the grading of the special needs students throughout the year.” Cindy Newsome is the principal at East Marion High School.
Rose said the district had a consultant and the consultant met with Dillon specifically regarding the classroom and issues of grading and accommodating the students. She further said Dillon was provided with numerous resources to help her regarding special education students.
“There were a variety of ways Dillon simply did not want to provide those accommodations to those students and thought it was unfair to the general students to provide modifications to the special students. Those modifications were required by law,” Rose said.
One of the issues Rose discussed was special needs students and how their needs are modified. For example, according to the modification of the individual education plans, those students had to complete 10 problems whereas general students had to complete 30 problems. Dillon would still give the special needs students 30 problems and if the students got the 10 problems correct, she would choose a grade such as a 90 or 95 percent.
Dillon was repeatedly told she had to fix the grades and finally around the end of March or first of April, according to Rose, Dillon fixed the grades.
Another issued which Rose addressed involved Dillon giving a quiz to the class. According to the accommodations, the special needs students were to be pulled from the class and tested in a smaller group setting. When the special education teacher came to pull the students, Dillon refused to interrupt the class as everyone was taking a quiz.
Newsome came and wanted to take the students out, and Dillon advised Newsome she was teaching and refused to allow the students to leave.
“Not a more clear definition of insubordination,” Rose said.
Rose concluded, “I would encourage the board the non-renewal decision made by the superintendent was a proper employment decision made necessary based on valid educational reasons.”
In other action taken at the board meeting last night, the board approved new hires for East Marion High School teachers Chatara Maxwell and Todd Osborne pending approval of emergency licenses from the Mississippi Department of Education.
The next school board meeting will be at 6 p.m. July 30.
