Teacher returns amid controversy

Marisa O’Neil

A Newport Heights Elementary School teacher will come back to work

after scores of parents complained that she was fired unfairly last

week.

Originally hired as a temporary teacher to replace one on

maternity leave, first-grade teacher Shannon Jay’s last day was

Friday. Parents raised concerns about the circumstances of her

departure. After meeting with parents at the school Tuesday

afternoon, Newport-Mesa Unified School District Assistant Supt. of

Elementary Education Susan Despenas said that Jay would start back at

work next week.

“What we wanted to do is what’s best for the kids,” Despenas said.

“The kids adore her, the parents love her, and the principal thinks

she’s a great teacher.”

A substitute will teach the class until Jay returns. Because

district officials cannot publicly discuss personnel issues, Despenas

could not disclose why Jay left the school Friday or why she was

rehired.

Jay could not be reached for comment, but Kim Miller, a parent

from her class, said that she had spoken with the teacher after her

job offer.

“I asked her if she was happy with it, and she said she was very

happy,” Miller said.

As with all new teachers, Jay will serve a probationary period.

But, Despenas said, she didn’t “have reason to believe she won’t be

hired” at the end of that.

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, a group of Newport Heights

parents spoke out, praising the district for rehiring Jay but

complaining about a continuing “divisive” atmosphere between school

administrators, teachers and parents.

The school’s PTA president, Julie Scharnell, resigned from her

position at the meeting, citing a “lack of leadership” at the school

among her reasons.

“I didn’t want to be a pawn or in the middle of so much

controversy,” she said after speaking at the meeting.

The school is not being run properly, and Principal Judith

Chambers isn’t fostering communication between the PTA, teachers,

parents and administrators, Scharnell added.

Other parents agreed with Scharnell’s concerns.

“There has been a use of calculated misinformation to segregate

parents, administration, teachers and the board,” parent Robert Shaw

said.

Supt. Rob Barbot told the parents that Despenas would meet with

them and hear their concerns about the school.

“What we want to see is leadership that can work synergistically

with the foundation and the PTA rather than one that is adversarial,”

said Bob Miller, whose son Grayson is in Jay’s class.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].