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Union 91 Teacher's Contract Extended

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 December 2005, 15:00 CST

By RICH HEWITT; OF THE NEWS STAFF

ORLAND - The Union 91 joint school board on Monday extended the contract of the union's special education director, Beth Lorigan, despite the objections from a number of parents, who had called for her dismissal.

About a dozen parents attended the joint session and read brief requests urging the board not to renew Lorigan's contract, critical of her professional demeanor as it affected parents, staff and specialists working with their children.

They claimed this is an ongoing problem that has existed for several years and was affecting the education and welfare of their children.

The board's decision was disappointing, Orland parent Molly Steele said.

"If they had children in there, they would have voted differently," parent Brenda Grindle said.

Monday's meeting was the latest attempt by the group of parents to make a change in the special education services their children receive. In October, about two dozen parents signed a letter expressing their concerns. They also met in November with the Orland school board members to discuss the issues involved.

"We want to verbalize our concerns and give them the impression that we are serious," said Orland parent Patrick Steele. "We want some changes. Our children deserve a proper education. They may learn in a different way, a different style and time frame, but they deserve an education and they're not getting it."

While board members met in executive session for their annual evaluation of Lorigan and Superintendent Allan Snell, parents discussed their concerns in the school hallway.

Although they praised the Orland teachers and the work they do, one of the biggest concerns the parents voiced was what they deemed a high turnover rate among the special ed specialists who work with children in the Orland school.

"We seem to have a high turnover rate; we keep losing professional people," Orland parent Brenda Grindle said. "Some of the children have problems with autism, and it's very hard for them to have that constant change."

It affects their learning, said Sue Halberstadt, the mother of two special-needs pupils.

"They don't have the time to have new staff working with them all the time," she said. "It takes time for them to get reacquainted. A new person has to re-evaluate them and see where to start from. If they're there the year before, they already know that."

Parents indicated that the school has lost about nine specialists in recent years and the problem, they said, comes from the way Lorigan treats the specialists and staff.

Parents carried letters from some former specialists and staff members that indicated a rift between them and the director.

Grindle said Lorigan has refused to allow certain assessments for her child, which she said should be available according to state law, and has rejected assessments done by an outside professional. She has sought legal counsel through the Disabilities Rights Center, but has not yet filed a complaint.

Lorigan declined to discuss the issue after the meeting.

Board members heard the request to dismiss the director, and then met in executive session for the evaluations. With no discussion in public, they voted to extend both contracts by one year, through 2009. Snell and Lorigan also will receive a 3 percent salary increase next year.

Snell would not comment on the complaints by the parents, but said the board had developed a plan that would be implemented to address their concerns.

"This plan will address the concerns of the parents," Snell said. "We want to work with parents ... to provide the most appropriate services for students."

The plan includes meetings between Snell, Orland Principal Ivan Braun, Lorigan and parents, and seminars for parents regarding special education and its legal and functional aspects.

Parents said, however, that the plan will do little to resolve the issues. Grindle said they will now take their concerns to state special education officials, and will try to contact other parents in an effort to bolster their case.

Source: Bangor Daily News

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