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Teacher Garners Support

Posted on: Monday, 13 March 2006, 15:00 CST

By January Wetzel, The Tribune, Seymour, Ind.

Mar. 13--Seymour Middle School teacher Wayne Huddleston was shocked to learn that come next year he will no longer teach math -- a subject he has taught for nearly 30 years -- but instead will teach physical education.

Some former students and parents are rallying around Huddleston, who is taking a philosophical approach to the situation.

"If this is God's will for my life, then so be it," Huddleston said in a brief phone conversation. "I don't want to show any disrespect toward my employers, but I was shocked the decision."

Superintendent Robert Schmielau said the switch is not so much a personal matter as it is an overhaul of academic programs at the school.

"We are actually doing a lot of reassigning in the building," he said. "Some are voluntary switches; some are not. I will be the first to say that Mr. Huddleston has done an excellent job with some students.

But I have to look at the whole school and what is best for all students. We are looking at ways to improve all of our programs and expand the gifted and talented program."

In an e-mail to fellow teachers, Huddleston said he knew nothing of the switch until the decision was a "done deal."

"My job was posted before the superintendent talked to me about the reasons for the switch," the letter states. "My opinion about the switch was never requested."

In the e-mail, Huddleston cites several reasons he was given for the change, including complaints from parents about his teaching, the fact that he does not have a major in math, complaints from high school administration that he was not doing a good job of preparing students for high school math and that the school system wants a "younger teacher who has had recent college classes on new math and the new methods of teaching math."

Schmielau said the decision was ultimately his to make and that he will not bring it before the school board, which is scheduled to conduct a regular meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the school's administration office.

"If board members want to discuss it, that's up to them," he said. "Anyone from the public is free to address any subject when we open the meeting up for public comment."

Kenneth Brown, a junior at Seymour High School, and several other former students of Huddleston were also shocked the news and plan to attend the meeting with a petition in hand. Brown said he was able to collect more than 200 names in only one day.

"Mr. Huddleston is the best teacher I have ever had," said Brown, who is currently taking Advanced Placement calculus. "He fully prepared me for high school and pushed me to excel."

Nearly 50 students, parents and math teachers gathered Sunday afternoon at the Seymour Library to voice their opinions on the matter and organize a plan to address the school board Tuesday.

"Oh, we'll be there," sophomore Megan Hoffman said. "Dr. Schmielau and the school board can count on that."

Hoffman, who was encouraged Huddleston to take the SAT while she was still in middle school, said she owes much of her success to her former math teacher.

"I wouldn't be where I am now without that man. The scores that I received on the SAT's in sixth and seventh grade are still opening doors," she said. "I skipped the eighth grade because of him. This switch will really hurt our students' futures. He teaches students to challenge themselves."

Also attending Sunday's meeting was Joe Tormoehlen, who has helped Huddleston organize and hold math contests for many years. Tormoehlen also volunteers with the Seymour Mathcounts team, which under the guidance of Huddleston has won many competitions.

"I'm sure there are some who don't agree with everything Wayne does," Tormoehlen said. "But like a great coach, he's not there to be your friend necessarily, he's there to be your teacher. He expects more out of students than they expect from themselves."

Tormoehlen emphasized that any action the group takes would be positive.

"We aren't here to attack the school board or Dr. Schmielau," he said. "We want to be positive in showing our support for Wayne. I don't know if we will be able to get the decision reversed."

Brian Schmidt, a math teacher at SHS, disagreed with the claim that Huddleston's students aren't prepared for high school.

"In my opinion they are the strongest kids that come out of the middle school," he said. "And as for new ways to teach math, they just don't work at this level. Two plus two still equals four. The way I learned to teach math is the same way he learned to teach math 25 or 30 years ago."

Schmidt said administrators did not ask him his opinion of Huddleston's teaching and that the math department was planning to write an endorsement of Huddleston that they will present Tuesday.

Michelle Benefiel said that although she didn't like Huddleston when her son first had him in class, she now appreciates and respects him.

"My son wasn't in the top 25 of Mr. Huddleston's students," she said. "And I was one of those parents who complained. It wasn't an academic conflict, but a personality clash. But my son, who is a student at the high school, has said that had he not had Mr. Huddleston, he would be struggling in school today."

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, Seymour, Ind.

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Source: The Tribune (Seymour, Ind.)

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