The rift between staff and administration at the Sadie Vernon High School has been making headlines for years. Our records show that going back to 2008, the teachers have staged, sit-outs, sickouts and walkouts, protesting against what they call an uncaring administration.
Today wasn't anything like that, we were called to a mid morning press conference, but, being Sadie Vernon, it escalated into something else completely.
7news was there for the unfolding of another sorry episode at Sadie:…
Jules Vasquez Reporting
When we got to Sadie Vernon this morning, class was still in session - and it looked like a regular school day.
But it wasn't. The teachers were all here in the lounge having a press conference to express concern about two staff members who got fired.
And just as we were supposed to start our interview at a few minutes past ten - we saw students streaming out the gate.
And then we saw principal Laura Baptist going from classroom to classroom sending children home. School was cancelled at 10:00 in the morning. The teachers were stunned:
Jules Vasquez
"The news is that principal sent home students because the teachers have abandoned the classroom, that's the story."
Sophia Trapp, Teacher
"Exactly. Wow! We did not expect that. We were doing this in one period. We had call you at a certain time. All classes had work and all students were sitting inside had seat work and we wanted to finish this by break time which would have been 10:10 and then we would be back inside."
Jules Vasquez
"And now it's a dispute between adults but enviable children suffer."
Nicole Bembridge, Teacher
"And that's exactly we didn't want. We didn't want student to go home that's why we said we love leave work and take one period to do the interviews and get back to our classes. We didn't want any involvement with the students what so ever. And this is what happens. We had major communications as was seen today. We didn't even know, parents didn't even know. Kids just went home today. Even when we try to say we don't want to look like a bad guy it's still ends up turning on us and making us seem like the bad guys."
Darrell Humes, President PTA Assoc.
"The children were left unattended; the students were left unattended so we had to get permission from the Chairperson of the board to dismiss the children because they were left unattended and it's like a free for all in the classroom so.."
Jules Vasquez
"Now the teachers are saying that it was not that they were left unattended. They were left with work and the teachers took a period to hear their grievances with the press. So they are saying that it was in fact a controlled situation. How do you respond to that?"
Darrell Humes, President PTA Assoc.
"Well I don't think so Jules. How could you leave 11 plus classes without any adult supervision and children at that age? You know what will happen. Even in the best school you know that that's a recipe for disaster."
Jules Vasquez
"The teachers are also alleging that you all in fact sent them home as an embarrassment to the teachers. Because sending them home is a rather extreme maneuver. The end of semester is coming up and also no parents are expecting them. They are going out in the streets."
Darrell Humes, President PTA Assoc.
"Jules, that sounds like a joke to me. That's really funny coming from this staff. It's funny when they are thinking about the interest of children like that because that's the opposite way I feel about them. They are lazy and I am calling them out, they are downright lazy, I am calling them out Jules and I can talk because I know what I am talking about."
And while the abrupt, mid-morning cancellation of classes and the subsequent finger pointing has become the story - the real story according to these teachers is the dismissal of two teachers:
Jules Vasquez
"Is it the position of the teaching staff that these persons should not have been fired?"
Nicole Bembridge, Teacher
"Let me be honest with you Jules. I don't think that they should have been but maybe it could be proven that they should have. That is not even the point. The point is that due process was not followed."
Jules Vasquez
"Specify due process."
Nicole Bembridge, Teacher
"Ok, if you are going to fire a teacher and we are run by the board that teacher should go before the board, discuss what happen, bring up the matter; that teacher should be able to defend themselves or clear it up. The board will make a decision, the board informs that teacher. Maybe it might be a suspension, give you a warning and let's fix this or whatever. That never happen."
German Teul, Teacher
"The principle of natural justice must be adhere to no matter what. No matter is the teacher is guilty, give the teacher a fair opportunity to defend himself or herself and once that materializes we have no problem with that but we know the specifics of each of the situation and we stand firm that due process will not follow, natural justice was grossly violated with the two cases."
Nicole Bembridge, Teacher
"It's between a rock and a very hard place and yesterday Jules with those two dismissal letters we realize that it could happen to any one of us. Any one of us not even in the middle of the month could get a dismissal letter effective immediately. Anyone of us by the end of the month might not have a job because due process obviously does not need to be happening here."
Darrell Humes, President PTA Assoc.
"Jules that is not true and from what I know and I am close with the board and the association. In the case of Ms. Moh, because it had to go to the board, it had to go to the adhoc committee that deals with that kind of thing and back to the board again so and she was before the board. In the case of the other teacher, he doesn't have to go before a board because he was on probation."
Kendis Ferguson - Teacher/Interim Staff Rep. to Board
"It is real. It is not just a potential situation. it is a real occurrence where anyone can for whatever purpose fabricate a story but at the heart of what I am saying my brother anything can be said. Anyone can have a bone to pick - a gripe to settle and anything can be allege against any teacher be it an old teacher, and existing teacher, a new teacher as has been the case and you are taken through the rumor mill."
Nicole Bembridge, Teacher
"Where will these two teachers go after this. After we've been painted so badly that the staff here is so terrible here at Sadie Vernon, do you think another school will want to hire us when they fire us. We live teaching so when they let o two teachers they are letting go two teachers from the teaching profession. Let me tell you; just doing this, just talking up like this I'm just 'oh Nicole you are already fired' you know what I mean, but we have to take a stand for it."
Darrell Humes, President PTA Assoc.
"I think the board is making a move in the correct direction and I not holding it back, there are many more that I would like to see go. Many, many more, I am not holding that back, that's the honest way I feel. They are not pulling their weight and if you are not comfortable - GO! You leave, we will find people who want to work with our children because obviously they don't want to work with our children. I would happy to see more people go and those that are being disruptive. Jules, you cannot be a part of anything and undermined it. Then you shouldn't be there if you are undermining and this is what is happening - the constant undermining for years and years."
Kendis Ferguson - Teacher/Interim Staff Rep. to Board
"We need this rift to end and it needs to end now. And if it means Mr. Kendis Ferguson needs to leave for the success of the institution and the students and you prove to me that this school will be the best without me - you won't have to fire - I will resign and that sentiment was communicated by all staff members who are present. Then the ministry - if we are the problem - if that's the best way forward the we'll go."
Each side has its own perspective and each its own ultimatums:
German Teul, Teacher
"We want everybody to know that we will not back down. With this stand we take today, we must see some concrete, conclusive approach by the ministry of education particularly the ministry of education. There is word out there that other teachers would be dismissed. To be frank my name was mention that I am next in line along with other teachers. In fact these eight teachers that people are saying that would be dismiss, can the ministry afford that?"
Darrell Humes, President PTA Assoc.
"I am in here for the long haul and I am telling you that the minister will have his say, the board will have its say but we are parents and we will have our way and if it takes us for our children to be out of school for a little way to get this situation resolve, they will come here and sit down with empty classroom and the minister will get tired of paying teachers for siting down and we are planning to do that."
And while they fight, the school doors were shuttered at 10:30 this morning a day of school lost
Kendis Ferguson - Teacher/Interim Staff Rep. to Board
"In the end the final analysis of the kids, the students come off in that losing bracket, unfortunate yes, agreed yes, it continues to happen yes."
And how can it be fixed, no one knows, at least no adult, which begs the question:
Jules Vasquez
"Does anyone in all this love this school?"
Teachers
"Yes, of course."
Nicole Bembridge, Teacher
"Let me tell you something. Sometimes I come here and I am so depress - I want to just say 'why am I here' and when I get into my class I realize why I am here and I get on fire and I want to teach and yes my students thinks I am crazy and ask if I left my medication at home but when I am in there I realize 'oh this is why I am here' I love this spot right here but it sad that you have to deal with other really awful offshoots."
Darrell Humes, President PTA Assoc.
"I don't think they love it at all. If you love something, it's like a man and his wife living together and they quarrel everyday they open their eyes and look at each other and glare at each other. One day eventually somebody get tired one will leave and it seem to me that they don't want to leave. If you don't like here why don't you leave. This is what I am saying to them. If you don't like the situation, you don't like who you are working with - get up and leave."
The School's Board of Directors is set to have an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss the latest flare-up. School is expected to continue as normal on Monday, normal being a relative term in the current climate of hostility. And where do the students stand? Well, according to the teachers, some time ago, in another dispute, the students have pelted the teacher's lounge with stones.
