ORANGE — It’s been 140 days since Fisher Hill Principal MaureenDonelan was placed on paid adminstrative leave.
The state has cleared Donelan of misconduct, finding allegations of physical abuse and neglect toward children unsupported; a majority of Fisher Hill Elementary School staff signed a letter supporting Donelan; teachers gave a document to the School Committee saying that bringing back the principal would be a solution to problems with student misbehavior at the school and the three other staff members initially placed on leave have been allowed to go back to work.
And still, Donelan is out with no public explanation from school officials.
This Saturday at 11 a.m. a group of parents, residents and Donelan supporters calling itself “Take Back Our Schools” will hold a demonstration at the center of town — the four-corner intersection of North, South, East and West Main Streets — calling for the principal’s reinstatement.
According to resident and organizer Theresa Bergquist, the principal’s absence should be a concern to residents, regardless of whether they have children at the school.
“A local citizens’ movement is taking its demands to the streets, calling for the return of the Fisher Hill School principal forced on lengthy paid leave, an end to related spending on a substitute principal’s salary and on legal costs they decry as a waste of taxpayer dollars and a call for due representation by their school committee,” Bergquist said.
It is unknown how many will show up to the rally, but the group’sFacebook page has 45 members and features a photo of a picket sign already made for the event, reading, “You’re lookin’ swell Donelan.”
The Orange Elementary School Committee and Superintendent Tari Thomas have declioned to discuss Donelan publicly, stressing the importance of confidentiality relating to personnel issues, especially if their are allegations involving children. No details about the alleged incident or incidents have been released publicly.
They have also cited the need for an internal investigation to wrap up before reinstatements, despite the state’s Department of Children & Families having wrapped up its investigation in the fall. However, Thomas reported during a Jan. 9 School Committee meeting that internal investigations had finished. Thomas has stated that it is the superintendent’s prerogative to decide whether Donelan may be reinstated, reinstated with a changed assignment or dismissed.
According to Bergquist, the rally is also in response to the School Committee’s reaction to an online petition calling for Thomas to resign. The “vote of no confidence” petition gained over 400 “signatures” online. However, School Committee Vice Chairwoman Amy White pointed out the online signatures have not been vetted, and it is unclear who the people who signed it actually were and if they were indeed residents.
“The committee refused to accept the over-400-signature digital petition of ‘No confidence in the Superintendent’ that was presented at a recent School Committee meeting. So it’s up to us to ACT NOW!” Bergquist wrote in a statement about the upcoming event.
Donelan could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Fisher Hill has also been struggling with student behavior problems, with teachers and parents reporting dozens of classroom evacuations since the beginning of the school year, during which children are brought to other sections of the school, like the library, to get them away from their potentially violent peers. At several public meetings and brainstorming sessions about the behavior problems, parents and teachers alike have described students as threatening classmates and teachers, throwing things and destroying classrooms and even physically attacking others.
Thomas and School Committee Chairwoman Stephanie Conrod have stressed that its only a few children acting out, but have held several meetings with administrators, the School Committee and teachers to come up with ways to control the misbehavior. Training for teachers on crisis intervention has taken place, a counselor, two one-on-one paraprofessionals and extra playground and lunchtime aides have been hired, and parents have volunteered to help at the school.
The principal’s absence has not been linked to the problems with behavior publicly, although the two topics have come up in the same meetings since November. The list of suggestions from the teachers union delivered to the School Committee in December also asked for Donelan to be brought back into the school to help curb misbehavior.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.